Like You Do
by TrinineWriter
Summary: This is a Trinine (Tris and Jeanine pairing) fan fiction. Tris and Jeanine are happily together and life is well, until one day everything falls apart. Will this couple be strong enough to endure the crazy storms of their lives both together and apart? Romance - Angst - Adventure. On Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey there! This is my new Trinine fic, I expect to be about 20 (+/-) chapters long. Just a few things you should know before you get started; Tris and Jeanine live in the faction system, Tris is Divergent and Jeanine is the leader of the Erudite faction. Also, being Divergent is very rare but is slowly becoming more accepted in society. Last thing, this story is rated M for a reason! There is just fluff and smut in this chapter, but there will be some serious action and angst coming up. I will post any possible triggers at the beginning of the chapter so you will have an idea of what is coming. One last thing, I am always open to advice and new ideas! Enjoy! :)

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Three years ago, Jeanine Matthews was serving as the leader of the Erudite faction when the Dauntless faction attempted to overthrow the entire faction system. Knowing it was going to take the strength of all of the factions to defeat the Dauntless army, Jeanine reached out to everyone living among the factions. Also aware that Dauntless would likely try to use some type of mind-altering drug during the approaching war, Jeanine specifically requested that all Divergents come to Erudite to create an elite task force.

Tris Prior was one of the first Divergents to join Jeanine's elite team. Her previous time at Dauntless proved to be very valuable during the war. During their days of preparation and training Tris and Jeanine worked closely together forming different plans and strategies. They grew quite fond of each other over the short period of time, each drawing on the other's strengths. They came from very different worlds, but somehow, they managed to understand each other perfectly.

Three years came and went faster than either of them could have ever predicted. Together, they won the war, re-established a chain of command in the factions and despite the chaos surrounding them - they fell in love. Shortly after the war ended, Tris and Jeanine shared an apartment at the edge of the Erudite faction. When they weren't working, they spent their time trying new recipes together, swapping books, taking long nature walks and occasionally driving into the neighboring city for weekend getaways.

Both women cherished the small moments they shared together. Jeanine loved the way Tris would stick her tongue out when she was concentrating on something, and the way she would nearly burst with enthusiasm when she got a new idea. Tris no-so-secretly loved all of Jeanine's snarky comments. They challenged each other intellectually, emotionally, and sometimes physically. It had taken a while, but eventually the two strong women learned how to keep a healthy balance in their relationship. They spoke candidly and enjoyed each other's company both during the day and all through the night.

Jeanine stepped into their home and dropped her bags in their home-office before making her way into the living room where she noticed Tris sound asleep on the couch. She shook her head and smiled at the sight. She quietly made her way into their bedroom, changed into her pajamas and went to the bathroom to remove her makeup. When she flipped on the light switch she noticed a yellow note hanging on the mirror above the vanity sink.

_Good morning J, in case I am not awake when you leave, I wanted to remind you that today is Caleb's birthday so I will be with him for most of the day. Since I will not be able to make our usual lunch date I went ahead and prepared a grilled chicken salad for you. Its in the fridge on the top shelf if you'd like to take it with you. XO –T _

Jeanine's heart swelled in her chest and a warm smile spread across her lips as she read the note again before sticking it back to the mirror. Tris was always leaving her little notes here and there. Sometimes Jeanine would find them in her paperwork, other times she would find them in a dresser drawer or even taped to the steering wheel of her car. Most of the time the notes just said something small like 'I love you' or 'have a good day', but occasionally she was given reminder notes like the one now hanging on the bathroom mirror. She had saved them all in a small box and kept them in the top of their closet. She knew it was a rather ridiculous thing to do, given many of the notes were a simple passing of information. But for some sentimental reason she simply could not throw them away.

After finishing her nightly routine, Jeanine walked back out to the living room where Tris was still softly snoring on the couch. A warm smile graced her lips at the sight. She reached out, and delicately removed Tris' glasses from the bridge of her nose. She smiled even more brightly when she lifted Tris' hands gently pulling the chapter book from her grasp. The brunette continued peacefully snoring and Jeanine shook her head. She lowered her hands to Tris' shoulders and squeezed gently. "Tris, honey, you need to wake up."

Tris stirred slightly and a smile pulled at the corner of Jeanine's lips. "Come on Tris, time to wake up," she tried again encouragingly. Tris stirred again and let out a groan. Jeanine lifted her brow at her lover's defiance. She smiled mischievously and leaned in to whisper, "Tris, you need to wake up, I have brownies."

"Mmmmm…brownies," Tris asked her voice groggy with sleep. Jeanine smiled and laughed lightheartedly. If anything could motivate Tris it was food - particularly chocolate. "Hello dear," Jeanine said watching Tris yawn and stretch her arms over her head. Tris looked up at Jeanine and blinked a few times waiting on her eyes to focus before responding. "There aren't any brownies are there?" Jeanine smiled and shook her head no. Tris let out a huff and tried to conceal her smile.

Jeanine giggled and Tris reached up throwing her arms around the older woman and pulling her down into a sweet kiss.

"Had to wake you up somehow" Jeanine teased. "How was your day," she asked leaning back and sitting on the edge of the couch.

Tris stifled a yawn. "It was good…Actually, it was pretty busy. I continued working on the anti – hallucinogen project today with Christine, we are getting really close to finding some answers."

"Oh that's wonderful news," Jeanine said enthusiastically.

Pride filled Tris' voice, "Yeah, so how was your day?"

Jeanine pursed her lips in thought for a moment, "Dreadfully boring I'm afraid, my finance meeting ran long which is why I was a little late getting home tonight - sorry."

"Oh…I hadn't even noticed to be honest," Tris admitted.

Jeanine smiled and tapped the book Tris had fallen asleep reading, "I know, you and Mr. George Martin were making the time fly by."

Tris blushed and stretched her arms up over her head, "What time is it?"

Jeanine shook her head at her lover's complete lack of time management. "Just after seven thirty," she said and started to get up from the couch. Her movement was suddenly halted when Tris reached up and gripped her slim forearms holding the blonde captive before she could fully stand."

"Are you hungry," Tris asked.

Jeannie shook her head, "No, not really, I had a late lunch."

Tris quirked a eyebrow, "Good." A salacious smile spread across her lips. And before Jeannie could even blink, Tris had pulled their bodies together. Jeanine gasped for air when their lips finally parted.

"I missed you," Tris whispered against her lover's lips. Jeanine lowered herself further pressing her lips to Tris' before kissing down her jawline and whispering into her ear, "How much?"

Tris' body tingled at the sensation of Jeanine's hot breath against her ear. She wove one hand into Jeanine's blonde locks and used the other to pull Jeanine down more firmly against her.

Jeanine chuckled throatily and re-positioned herself so she was straddling Tris on the over-sized leather couch. "Did you miss me a lot," she questioned and rolled her hips against Tris.

The air caught in Tris' lungs and body went taught at the sensation of Jeanine's center brushing against her own. She hummed and bit down on her lower lip as Jeanine repeated the action again and again.

Jeanine lowered herself and brushed her lips against Tris'. Their kisses grew feverish as Jeanine continued to roll her hips down against Tris. Jeanine pinched Tris' lower lip between her teeth and tugged causing Tris to thrust her hips upward. Tris felt heat pool between her legs and she placed her hands on Jeanine's hips encouraging her to continue. Jeanine broke their kiss in favor of placing hot, wet, kisses to Tris' neck. The younger woman let out a wanton moan when Jeanine trapped her pulse point between her teeth and sucked hard. "Clothes," Tris breathed between gasps. "Bed," Jeanine responded her dark eyes opening to meet Tris'. her voice low and sultry. Jeanine placed one more kiss to Tris' lips and pushed off the couch.

Tris quickly followed in pursuit. They left a path of dis-guarded clothes and pajamas all the way down the hall to their bedroom. Jeanine felt a sudden surge of heat race through her veins when her eyes landed on their bed. She spun on her heels and pressed Tris against the wall right next to the door frame crashing their bodies together. She let her hands slide down Tris' naked sides as she pressed her body into her lovers. Tris closed her eyes and let her head fall back to rest against the wall as Jeanine kissed her and ran her hands all over her body. Her body trembled with a desire. She hooked her fingers in Jeanine's lace thong and shoved it to the floor effectively removing the last piece of clothing between them. Tris took a deep breath and pushed off the wall. They stumbled across the room until falling onto the bed in a heap of kisses and giggles.

Jeanine straddled Tris again and her eyes darkened with desire as her eyes roved over Tris' toned body. "Tonight, you're going to do everything I tell you. Do you understand?"

Tris bit down on her lower lip and nodded in agreement. She loved it when Jeanine was bossy. "Everything you want, I'm all yours" she said grinning and bucking her hips up for emphasis.

Jeanine shuddered when her sex clenched at the sudden friction. "All mine," Jeanine growled and lowered herself onto Tris' body. They kissed passionately and Tris ran her hands up and down Jeanine's ivory skin until the older woman pinned them together above her head. "Keep your hands here," Jeanine said squeezing them for emphasis.

Tris smirked and lifted her head to press another kiss to Jeanine's lips. Jeanine rolled her hips down against Tris again this time whispering in her ear, "I want you to tell me how much you missed me."

Jeanine's voice vibrated through Tris' body causing the younger woman to tremble. Jeanine sat up again and watched as Tris' eyes fluttered open and she looked up with an arched eyebrow. "I missed you a lot," Tris said honestly.

Jeanine began undulating her hips against Tris' naked sex again her eye's never leaving her lover's. "I missed you too. I thought about you a lot." Tris opened her eyes just in time to see Jeanine slide her hand down her naked body until she reached the apex of her thighs. She watched with wide eyes as Jeanine slide a single finger inside herself and moaned nearly falling forward at the contact.

Tris moaned loudly and bucked her hips frantic for friction. "I missed you so much," Jeanine whispered, removed her finger and brought it to Tris' mouth coating the younger woman's lips with her essence. Tris moaned and chewed at her lips greedily savoring the taste of her lover. She bucked her hips up against Jeanine's core causing her to shudder.

"Tris," Jeanine breathed her head falling back and her hands cupping her breasts.

Tris flew up off of the bed her arms curling around Jeanine's body as she took a pert pink nipple between her lips and sucked hungrily.

"Oh!" Jeanine gripped Tris' shoulder to steady herself and used her other hand to guide Tris' wet lips to her other breast. Tris treated Jeanine's other nipple to the same treatment; running her hot tongue over it, taking the hardened bud between her teeth and sucking hard. Jeanine released a guteral moan and rocked hard against Tris.

Tris lowered her hand to the apex of Jeanine's thighs and dipped one finger into Jeanine's wetness. "Trisss" the older woman hissed above her.

"I love how wet you get for me baby," Tris said circling Jeanine's hard clit with her finger. Jeanine shuddered and fell forward wrapping her arms around her lover and clinging tightly to Tris' frame.

Tris turned her head to the side kissing Jeanine's sweat-slicked skin. "I want to kiss you," she whispered.

Jeanine leaned back in their embrace and pressed her lips to Tris'. At the same time, Tris pushed two fingers into her lover's sex. Jeanine moaned her pleasure into the kiss as her walls clenched down tightly around Tris' fingers.

Tris pulled her fingers out and pushed them back in quickly. "Fuck," Jeanine broke their kiss and started undulating her hips again.

Tris pulled her fingers part of the way out and plunged them in again. "Oh fuck!" Jeanine gripped Tris body tightly and rode her fingers harder and faster.

"That's right baby, come for me," Tris said matching Jeanine's movements with perfect strokes.

"I'm going to - Ohhhhh!" Jeanine's sex clenched around Tris' fingers holding them in deep. Tris curled her fingers, pulled them out slightly, and shoved them back in sending Jeanine tumbling over the edge.

Tris slowly removed her fingers and held Jeanine through her tremors. She placed soft kisses to the freckles that covered Jeanine's shoulders. "I... Love... You..." She whispered between each kiss. Jeanine smiled and nuzzled the base of Tris' neck with her nose. Tris let her nails drag up and down Jeanine's back knowing how good it felt when her entire body was still tingling.

Jeanine smiled and started to place kisses to the column of Tris' neck. "Your turn," she whispered and nibbled at Tris' earlobe.

Tris shook her head and giggled at the feeling. She held Jeanine tightly and let herself fall backward onto the bed. Jeanine peppered Tris' skin with kisses. She kissed her collar bone, her neck, her jawline and even the tip of her nose before melting their lips together again.

"I'll never be able to get enough of these," Tris said cupping Jeanine's face in her hand and running her thumb over Jeanine's lips. "Perfect," she whispered lifting her head off of the bed to press their lips together again.

Jeanine kissed her hard before breaking for a breath and meeting Tris' gaze. "I want you to come."

Tris' body vibrated at the words.

Jeanine ran her hands up and down Tris' body. She slid down Tris' body and took a hardened nipple into her mouth and sucked roughly.

"Yes!" Tris gasped her chest lifting off of the bed to meet Jeanine's lips.

Jeanine slid over and treated the other nipple to the same.

"Jeanine," Tris whimpered already wound tight.

Hearing the desperation in Tris' voice Jeanine slid even further down Tris' body spreading her legs. Jeanine kissed the inside of Tris' strong thighs watching as the muscles trembled under her lips. Moving to the apex of Tris' thighs, Jeanine dipped her tongue in between Tris' folds and slid her tongue up from Tris' sex to her clit.

"Ohhh gawd!" Tris' sex clenched with anticipation.

Jeanine wrapped her arms around Tris' thighs and pushed her hot tounge into her lover's waiting sex. Tris' hips bucked eager for more. Jeanine held her thighs even tighter as she continued to eat her out.

Tris moaned and reached down threading her fingers into blonde hair. "Oh fuck Jeanine," she panted, "Oh I'm gonna come baby."

Jeanine slid her tongue out and sucked hard on Tris' hardened bud.

"Oh fuck yes," Tris screamed.

Jeanine released one of Tris' legs and slipped two fingers deep into Tris.

Tris moaned loudly as her sex clenched around Jeanine's fingers. Jeanine curled her fingers and pumped them once, twice, three times, and sent Tris barreling over the edge into her orgasm.

Jeanine kept her fingers buried in Tris as she climbed up her body pressing their lips together in a hot, wet, kiss. Tris let out a deep moan when she tasted herself on her lover's skillful tongue. Jeanine rocked her hips forward helping Tris ride out the final waves of her orgasm.

"Babe…mercy," Tris panted and let out a small laugh. Jeanine chuckled, slowly pulled her fingers out of Tris and brought them up to her mouth.

Tris' eyes went wide as she watched Jeanine slowly suck her essence off of her delicate fingers one by one. "Damn," Tris exhaled her eyes never leaving her lover's face, "You are so fucking sexy."

Jeanine smiled in satisfaction and started kissing Tris again. A few quiet moments passed before Jeanine scooted off to Tris' side. She curled into the younger woman, nuzzling the base of Tris' neck with her nose. _This is home._ She sighed in contentment as Tris drew random shapes all over her back. _ I wish that I could bury myself in your bones. _

Tris turned her head and kissed the top of Jeanine's forehead tenderly. "I love you," she whispered, her voice filled with truth and passion. Jeannine smiled and hugged her tightly, "I love you too Tris."

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AN: So what do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks :) -Ashlynn


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there! Chapter two has arrived! :) Hope you like it! -Ashlynn

Special thanks to my fellow Trinine shipper Speisla!

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Jeanine woke to sun rays peaking in through the curtains of the bedroom window. She groaned deeply and lifted her head from Tris' shoulder to check the time; it was 5:37am. She let out a small huff realizing she needed to get up soon. Slowly, she untangled herself from Tris who was snoring softly next to her and rolled over on her back to stretch her sore muscles. Just as she went to throw the covers back and climb out of bed, Jeanine looked down to see a strong tan arm reach across her torso and hold her captive. Tris scooted over and pulled Jeanine back down on the bed. She snuggled into Jeanine's side eliciting a soft laugh from her lover and she smiled in satisfaction.

While Jeanine laid in bed running her hand up and down Tris' back her mind began to wander. She smiled contently when she started to think about how much she would enjoy waking up like this every day for the rest of her life. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss the top of Tris' head. She thought about what it would be like to spend all of her days and all of her nights wrapped in Tris' loving embrace. Warmth spread through Jeanine's body at the thought, causing her smile to only grow. Before long, she was completely wrapped up in a daydream of red roses and white dresses. She paused and wondered if Tris even wanted to get married. It was something they had talked about briefly, but never in the context of each other. Would Tris want kids Jeanine wondered in silence. Tris was good with kids, but is that something she wanted for herself? Jeanine shook her head breaking her train of thought. She looked down to see the subject of her racing thoughts was once again snoring softly. "What do you think Tris," Jeanine asked quietly placing a kiss on top of Tris' head. "Should we get married? Maybe have a couple of kids?"

Tris did not respond, she just continued snoring lightly and Jeanine chuckled quietly to herself careful not to disturb the brunette on top of her. Looking over at the small clock on the nightstand again, Jeanine noticed it was already 5:50am - past time for her to get up. She sighed and once again wiggled her way out from Tris' hold all while doing her best not to wake her. When her feet finally hit the cool hardwood floor she looked back to see if Tris had been too distrubed. She smiled when she saw that Tris was still snoring away. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Tris' cheek before going to the bathroom where she took a hot shower and started getting ready for the day ahead.

Twenty minutes passed before Tris started to stir. She blinked rapidly and shielded her eyes from the sunlight now pouring into the room. Hearing the shower running in the bathroom, Tris rolled over onto her back with a groan and propped herself up on her elbows. She stretched her legs and toes loving the tension still there from the night before. Just as she was contemplating going back to sleep Jeanine emerged from the bathroom wrapped in only a small white bath towel. Tris watched her girlfriend move across the room toward the closet. She sat quietly and let her eyes take in Jeanine's long porcelain legs, her soft curves, strong arms and short wavy blonde hair. Tris swallowed the lump starting to form in her throat. "Mmm... Morning beautiful," she said with a smile, and her voice still groggy. Jeanine was slightly startled and instantly turned to meet Tris' gaze with a bright smile. "Good morning darling," she replied sweetly and walked over to the side of the bed.

"Did you sleep well," Jeanine asked as she sat down on the side of the bed. Tris nodded her head in agreement, her eyes never leaving Jeanine, "Mmmhmm...How about you?" Jeannine did her best to suppress a laugh as her eyes roamed from Tris' messy hair to her squinting eyes and half-awake expression. She grinned and shook her head, "I slept very well, thank you." Tris yawned and Jeanine stood up from the side of the bed. "You can go back to sleep if you want to," she offered. Tris leaned her head from side to side stretching her neck muscles. "Nah, that's okay," She said through a long yawn. Jeanine giggled softly, "Are you sure about that?" Tris nodded her head and looked around the room absentmindedly, "Yeah, I think I will go start the coffee." Jeanine smiled warmly, "That sounds wonderful." She leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on Tris' lips before making her way to their walk in closet. Tris watched Jeanine every step of the way as she walked across the room and disappeared into the closet. She groaned and stared down at her feet, mornings were not her favorite time of day. "Okay," she said encouraging herself, "Time to get up." Tris let out a deep growl and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She could hear Jeanine laughing at her from in the closet, "Everything okay out there?" Tris stood up and stretched, "Yes," she said through a yawn. She slowly made her way to the bathroom, put her bath robe on, and left for the kitchen.

Jeanine hummed quietly as she sifted through the abundance of clothes in their closet. Eventually she decided on an outfit and a pair of shoes. She walked out of the closet and tossed is all onto the foot of the bed. She walked over to a dresser and began picking out undergarments. Just as she was about to close the drawer her eyes caught on a small yellow piece of paper. She smiled knowing exactly what it was, and plucked the small piece of paper from the drawer. She unfolded the small paper and read; "_You are beautiful Jeanine Matthews! XO –T" _A warm blush spread across Jeanine's cheeks and washed over her body. She bit her bottom lip and a smile spread across her lips as she read the note again. Tris always knew exactly what to say to make her smile. She refolded the paper and decided to grab the note she had found hanging on the bathroom mirror the night before. She held them both in her hand as she pulled down a small shoe box she kept on the top shelf of their closet. She smiled when she opened the box and saw all of the notes Tris had given her over the last couple of years. She dropped the two notes in her hand in with the rest and placed the box back on the shelf. She walked out of the closet feeling much lighter, and she began humming even louder than before.

"Coffee is ready," Tris said. She held a cup in each hand and against the bathroom door frame. "It smells great" Jeanine said eagerly as she finished putting on her mascara. Tris let her eyes wander over the three piece navy business suit Jeanine was wearing and felt her cheeks flush. She raised her eyebrow and let out a low growl, "Wow... You look... Mmmmm... You look good Jeanine." Jeanine smiled and laughed softly, "thank you darling." She tossed her mascara into a drawer and turned around to face Tris. She let her eyes rake up and down Tris' strong slender body feeling her own body temperature rise. She took a step forward, wrapped her hands around the collar of Tris' robe, and leaned in whispered in Tris' ear. "You don't look so bad yourself," she said her voice low and sultry. Tris swallowed hard as she felt her heartbeat begin to race in her chest. No one had ever made her feel quite the way Jeanine did; so wanted, so needed, so loved. Jeanine hummed in satisfaction and flashed a bright smile as she took the larger mug of coffee from Tris' hands. "Rawr," Tris growled playfully. Jeanine laughed heartily and took a sip of coffee. She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Tris' cheek before stepping out of the bathroom and making her way to their home office. Tris let her head fall back against the wall and shook her head as she laughed softly to herself. Her body was still buzzing with excitement as she left the bathroom and followed the sound of Jeanine's heels down the hallway.

Jeanine collected her things from the office and dropped them on the kitchen island before getting a to-go mug down from a cabinet and switching her coffee over to it. Tris leaned against the island and sipped at her coffee as she watched Jeannie hurry around the kitchen. "But seriously, that suit looks incredible on you," Tris sighed as her eyes traveled up and down Jeanine's toned body. "Oh I know darling, that's why I wear it," Jeanine said playfully swaying her hips and attempting to sound full of herself. Tris rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yup, that's my girlfriend, just an endless amount of sass," she said sarcastically. They shared a laugh and Jeanine checked the time again. She had about two minutes before she had to leave.

"Do you know what you are going to do with Caleb today" she asked as she opened the fridge and pulled out the salad Tris had made for her lunch. "I'm not really sure; I know he is having dinner tonight with his friend Will. But I don't know anything else, we really didn't make a plan…Kind of figured I would just go along with whatever he wants to do." Tris said and took another sip of her coffee. "Thank you for lunch by the way" Jeanine said and gestured to the salad she was putting in one of her bags. Tris smiled and nodded in response, she loved it when she could do little things for Jeanine.

"Well that sounds nice. Oh, make sure to take his gift with you today," Jeanine reminded Tris as she gathered her things together. Tris nodded her head again, "Yeah, I will. I'll text you when I have an idea of what we are doing, I expect we will go into the city, but we'll see." Jeanine hummed in thought, "That sounds like a wonderful plan." Jeanine checked her watch again and grabbed her bags from the island. "It is seven my dear. Time for me to go to work," she said and grabbed her keys from the counter. Tris left her coffee on the counter and followed Jeanine to the door, "Have a good day at work."

Jeanine stopped at the door and turned to face Tris, "Thank you, and thank you for the notes. I found the one on the mirror and the one in the dresser." Tris smiled warmly, "I meant it." Jeanine's heart filled with warmth and she threaded her fingers with Tris'. "I know," she smiled. "Have a good time with your brother today, tell him I said hello and happy birthday." Jeanine let go of Tris' hand and embraced her in a hug, leaving was always the hardest part of her day. "I will be thinking of you," Tris whispered, keeping with their morning routine. Jeanine released her hold on Tris and touched their foreheads together, "and I am always thinking of you my love." Tris smiled and Jeanine placed a sweet kiss to her lips before reluctantly heading out the door. "I'll see you tonight," Tris said as she stepped out of the apartment to watch Jeanine walk to the elevator like she did every morning, "We'll have dinner together." Jeanine quickly turned on her heels and continued walking backwards, "Sounds good, see you tonight!" She flashed a bright smile at Tris before back turning around, getting on the elevator and heading to work.

Tris walked back into the apartment and closed the door after watching the elevator door close. The apartment never felt as big or empty as the few moments just after Jeanine would leave in the mornings. She went back to the kitchen, downed what was left of her coffee and left the cup in the sink. She made her way back to their bedroom, turned on the radio and got ready for the day. Tris decided on her typical non-work outfit; jeans, white t, black leather jacket, and black combat boots all topped with a messy pony tail. The clock read 8:00am when Tris was headed out the door with Caleb's gift bag in hand. She pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to Jeanine while she was on the elevator.

8:00am

_Hey, just left the apartment, headed to Caleb's. Hope you are having a good morning. XO –T _

Tris tucked her phone back into her pocket when the elevator stopped at ground level. She made her way over to her Camaro and put Caleb's gift in the trunk. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket just before she started her car and pulled it out to read the message;

8:03am

_Hi, hope Caleb likes his gift! I'm headed into a new security briefing :-P Have fun with Caleb today, I will text you when I have the chance. XO –J _

Tris smiled and quickly typed a response.

_I'm sure he is going to love it!__ That's my woman, saving the world one security briefing at a time ;) Lol I'll text you when I get there. XO –T_

Tris stuffed her phone back in her jacket pocket, started her car, turned up the radio and took off for Caleb's.

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What did you think ? Leave me a comment and let me know! :) -Ashlynn


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there! We have reached chapter three! Sorry for the delay, the website has been down for a while. Thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragement, it means a lot to me! Enjoy chapter three! :) - Ashlynn

**Trigger Warning: **automobile collision

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Tris knocked on the door of Caleb's apartment and was met with an excited greeting from her brother. "Tris" Caleb exclaimed as he opened the door and stepped forward to envelop Tris in a big hug before she could even enter the apartment. Tris smiled as they hugged, "Hey, happy birthday!" Caleb gave her one more tight embrace before releasing his grip and stepping back into the apartment, "Thanks! I'm so happy you are here, it seems like forever since we have spent some time together. Come on in." Tris stepped into the apartment and turned to face Caleb when they reached the living room,"Brought you a gift." Caleb smiled brightly, "Awe Tris, you didn't have to do that," he said trying to hide his excitement. Tris laughed and held the gift bag out for Caleb to take. He took the bag and led Tris over to the couch in his living room. As children, Caleb and Tris had very little, and gifts were only given on very rare occasions. It always meant a lot to both of them when they could give something to each other.

They sat down together and made themselves comfortable on the brown leather futon Caleb used as a couch. He turned to Tris and asked in anticipation, "Can I go ahead and open it?"Tris nodded her head and smiled brightly, "Yes, go ahead." Caleb threw the tissue paper on the floor by his feet as he started to open his gift. Tris waited with baited breath as she watched Caleb pull out the first gift. It was a royal blue knit sweater which he instantly held up to himself, "Tris I love it, and this color is awesome!" Tris smiled, "I hope it fits." "Oh I'm sure it will" Caleb offered still smiling ear to ear. Tris pressed her lips together in a tight line as a lump formed in her throat and Caleb removed the next gift from the bag. It was something that had been very difficult to find, but she knew her brother would cherish it. Caleb inhaled sharply and his face became solemn when he realized what he was holding. He held a very familiar small black leather bound book in his hands. He gently ran his hand over the front cover before slowly opening the book to its first page. Tears began welling up in his eyes when he looked down and read his mother's handwriting.

_My dearest Andrew, _

_I give this notebook to you in celebration of our twentieth anniversary. Our anniversaries remind me to be grateful about our past and hopeful for our future. Thank you for your time and your constant support. Your love has always been more than enough for me and our children. I look forward to spending the next twenty years at your side._

_All my love, _

_Natalie_

Caleb traced his fingers over his mother's name and tears began to fall from his eyes. Tris reached out and placed her hand gently on Caleb's shoulder, her eyes threatening to run over with tears. Caleb slowly thumbed through the pages stopping at various points and reading what their father had written. After a moment of silence passed between them Caleb looked up at Tris. His eyes were red and his cheeks were stained with tears "thank you," he whispered. Tris felt hot tears run across her cheeks. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Caleb's neck. He hugged her back tightly, still holding the small book in his hand. They sat there for a moment, holding each other as memories of their parents flashed through their minds. Caleb was the first to let go and Tris leaned back against the couch her cheeks burning. Caleb shakily sighed and stared at the book in his hands in disbelief. "W-where…How…I mean" he sniffled. "I thought everything…burned," he said in bewilderment. Tris sighed heavily and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Yeah, I thought so too." Caleb looked back up at his sister in curiosity, "How did you find it?" Tris looked down at her hands and rubbed her thumb against her palm, "I had some help." Caleb sat quietly for a moment, his brows knit together as he tried to put the pieces together. After a moment it hit him, "Jeanine" he said. Tris nodded her response. "Yeah," and a small but prominent smile started to form on her lips. Caleb looked back down at the book and ran his thumbs along the cool black leather, "Please tell her I said thank you." Tris smiled and nodded her head again, "I will." Jeanine was right, Caleb had loved the gift. Tris made a mental note to give her a big thank you when she got home.

Tris and Jeanine's relationship had come as a surprise to Caleb. He had known about a few of the girls Tris dated, but Jeanine was different. She was not just another girl Tris worked with in the lab; Jeanine was the leader of the Erudite faction. She had gone to the best schools, received the best education, and had fast-tracked her way to a career in politics were she quickly became a member of leadership before being elected as Erudite's new leader. Jeanine Matthews was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She was known for being somewhat demanding, and uncompromising in her ideals and beliefs for the faction and its people. At first Caleb was reluctant to the idea of Tris and Jeanine together. He knew that Jeanine's lifestyle was very different from Tris' and he worried that Jeanine would look down on Tris at times. But, as the three of them went on outings and shared time together, Caleb realized that Jeanine – while being a strong professional business woman – was a truly wonderful person and she actually looked up to Tris in many ways. It didn't take long for Caleb to realize that Jeanine was falling madly in love with his little sister. As the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, Caleb knew that Jeanine was more than willing to do anything for Tris. He knew that Jeanine cared for Tris better than anyone had before, and they made each other very happy. As Tris' brother and only family, Caleb soon decided that he could not even hope for a better person to love and care for his sister.

"How are you two doing," Caleb asked after clearing his throat and turning back to face Tris. She took a deep breath, let her head rest on the back of the couch, and closed her eyes. She felt her entire body relax as thoughts and images of Jeanine filled her mind. "We're good," she replied sincerely. Tris turned sideways to face Caleb and propped her elbow against the back of the couch. "In fact, I don't think we have ever been better," she added with a coy smile. Caleb observed Tris' expression and a warm smile spread across his face, "you seem really happy with her Tris." "Yeah, I am" Tris said and a soft blush spread across her cheeks. She cleared her throat bringing herself back to the moment "so, how are you, what is going on in your life?" Caleb turned and mirrored Tris' position on the couch before he began. "Life is good right now. I am really enjoying my position at the paper. I get to write lots of exciting things and there is a rumor that I may get a promotion at the end of the year so I can start traveling to other cities and outside of the five factions here." Caleb spoke animatedly becoming more and more excited the longer he talked about his job. "That sounds great Caleb" Tris said happily. "It also sounds very dangerous" she quickly added. Caleb sighed and shoulders slumped slightly "yeah, I know. But think of the difference I could be making Tris! I could be out there among other people, sharing their stories and helping to make their lives better." Tris nodded her head; she understood how it felt to want to make a difference in the world. "Yes, but don't forget, I spent a year in the Dauntless army Caleb. I know what it is like out there, and it's not pretty. The people outside of the factions and nearby cities don't share our values or morals; you have to be on guard 24/7." Caleb started to visibly deflate and Tris felt a pang of guilt her stomach. "It's not that it isn't a great thing to do Caleb, I think it is awesome that you want to help people and share their stories… But, I also personally know the danger that exists outside of this faction system" Tris explained. She let out a heavy sigh "You and Jeanine are the only family I have Caleb….I don't know what I would do without you." Caleb looked up at her and playfully made a sad puppy dog face. Tris laughed "come here you" she said and they embraced in a warm hug. "I think it is great that you want to make a difference Caleb. I will be here to support you no matter what you do" Tris offered reassuringly. Caleb smiled into their hug "thanks sis." Tris let go of Caleb and cleared her throat "now, what are we going to do today?"

Ten minutes later Caleb and Tris were on the road in Caleb's white Chevrolet Tahoe. Tris pulled out her phone and sent a text to Jeanine.

9:12am

_Hey J, we are headed into the city. Going to the new aerospace museum and then to the movies. Caleb LOVED his gift –THANK YOU! Hope you are having a good day and you did't fall asleep in that security meeting ;) Just kidding! __XO- T _

Tris and Caleb's conversation continued for a while as they caught each other up on what was happening in their lives. When the conversation slowed Caleb simply turned up the radio, and Tris let her mind wander aimlessly as she stared out the passenger window. As she watched the farm land pass by, Tris' mind wandered to the last time she had gone into the city. It had been a sudden weekend getaway, and it had been long overdue. Jeanine had called Tris around four in the afternoon and said she thought they should getaway for the weekend. Tris was elated with the idea and had raced home after getting off work to pack them both a suitcase. Tris smiled at the memory of nearly tackling Jeanine to the floor with excitement when she had walked through the front door after getting off work. They had both nearly fallen to the floor from the eruption of laughter and giggles alone. Tris' mind then filled with an image of Jeanine after she had changed clothes that evening. Jeanine had changed out of her fitted grey dress and into skin tight jeans, a thin white V-neck and black pumps. Tris was left stunned and speechless at the sight of her girlfriend. Jeanine had laughed hysterically at Tris' reaction and closed Tris' mouth for her. Tris smiled and giggled quietly at the memory.

"What?" Caleb asked hearing Tris giggle and noticing the beaming smile on her face. "Hmmm...What?" Tris asked coming out of her daydream still smiling. "What were you giggling about" Caleb asked. Tris blushed "oh, uh, it's nothing." Caleb caught on quickly "Ohh you were thinking about Jeanine weren't you" he teased. Tris pursed her lips and started playing her hair while she refused to look at Caleb. "Maybe" Tris said after a moment of silence still not looking out the window. Caleb laughed heartily "I can always tell when you are thinking about her." "How" Tris asked accusingly as she turned to look at her brother in disbelief. Caleb shook his head and smiled "you get all elated. Plus, you had that exact same look on your face earlier when I mentioned her." "Oh" Tris said as a familiar blush spread across her cheeks again and she looked down at her lap. "So what were you thinking about her" Caleb asked. Tris giggled to herself again and sighed "Well, I was thinking about the last time we went to the city… We had an amazing time." Caleb smiled and leaned back into the seat, preparing himself for the story he knew Tris was about to launch into. Sure enough, two minutes later Tris was animatedly in the middle of telling him about their weekend. She told him about going to the theater, spending an entire day at the boardwalk and exploring the town with Jeanine. Just as Tris was wrapping up her story when Caleb interrupted her "have you two talked about marriage yet?" Tris stopped mid-sentence and looked at Caleb dumbfounded "huh?" Caleb shrugged his shoulders "have you talked about marriage yet" he asked again. "I mean, it's been a couple of years Tris, and you two are obviously even more in love with each other now than you have been before… It just seems like the next step." Tris contemplated Caleb's question for a moment "I-I don't know…I mean… we've talked about marriage before… But it wasn't in the context of us together…" she trailed off in thought before continuing. "I have actually thought about recently. I would love to marry Jeanine; there is no doubt in my mind that she is the person I want to spend my life with" Tris said assuredly. "So what's stopping you" Caleb asked. "Well… I worry about Jeanine, I mean, I am a Divergent and she is Erudite so it would be a really taboo kind of thing. Not to mention that she is the leader of the Erudite faction, and its first female leader at that. I just don't want her to have to deal with any negative repercussions that may arise because of our relationship. She loves her job, and I would hate for our relationship to cause any problems for her." Caleb nodded his head in understanding. He had also considered the possible public backlash that could happen if a faction leader married outside of their faction. "Beatrice" Caleb said his voice full of compassion "people are always going to talk. There will always be someone who disagrees with you. But, I have learned that if you care about what other people think of you, you really just become their prisoner. You have to take life in stride even when it is hard, even when people disagree with you. You love Jeanine and she loves you. You two deserve your happy ending no matter what anyone says. No one can live your lives but the two of you. Sure, Jeanine might have some trouble from her colleagues and maybe even the public. But Jeanine is a strong woman; she has been breaking through social walls and barriers her entire life. I am sure if there was any backlash she would take it in stride and be able to hold her head high. Besides, the taboo about people from different factions being together has lessened since universities and work programs are now allowing people to relocate to different factions. I know that's not nearly as big of a deal as being a Divergent, but it is still something... I can't imagine what life is like for you. I can't imagine how difficult is to try to be yourself in a world where every day, as a Divergent, you are told to be someone else, to conform to society…. I realize that Divergents have been labeled outcasts in many ways Tris, and I know there are some radical groups out there. But I know Jeanine doesn't care Tris, she doesn't care what people may say. She loves you regardless of what society has labeled you. In fact, I bet if she could pass a law punishing those who spoke out against Divergents she would. Tris, Jeanine loves you more than life itself; I can see it in the way she looks at you. Your love for Jeanine and her love for you is really all that matters. Everything else will find its way, just give it time." Tris' face was covered in tears as she took in everything that Caleb was saying. "When did you get so wise" she asked between sniffles. "Me" Caleb asked "oh, I have always been this wise, you are just now realizing it my young grasshopper." They both burst into laughter and before long they were in line to get tickets for the aerospace museum.

Jeanine growled and punched the intercom button on the phone "Alexis have you seen my copy of the budget report?" Alexis quickly looked around her desk and on the printer "no, Mrs. Matthews I don't see it. Would you like me to call Jack's office and have them send over a copy?" "Yes and please make it quick" Jeanine said then sat down at her desk with a huff. Her day had gone from busy to busier and this was not at all what she needed. As she started to retrace her steps in her mind again her phone buzzed on top of her desk. She groaned and then unlocked it to read the text.

10:21am

_Hey J, hope you are having a good day. Caleb and I are in town at the aerospace center. We are planning on having lunch here and then going to a movie this afternoon. I have been thinking about you! XO –T_

Jeanine smiled and relaxed her shoulders as she read Tris' text again before typing her response.

10:22am

_I'm glad he liked his gift! Give him a hug for me!__ I have heard really good things about the aerospace museum – I hope you like it! Sounds like a great plan, do you know what movie you are going to go see? There are a lot out right now that look pretty good. It has been a very busy day here so far. I have misplaced the budget report from this morning and so I have spent the past fifteen minutes searching for it, I have a feeling it is right under my nose. You would have probably laughed at me and already found it __J__ Have fun, I want to hear all about the aerospace museum when you get back. XO – J_

Tris and Caleb were standing in line to enter the planetarium when she read Jeanine's message.

10:26am

_Yeah, it's pretty cool, we are about to go into the planetarium now. Caleb is loving every minute of it __J__ I'm not sure what movie we are going to see? I guess whatever is playing when we get there. You're always working so hard and have so many things on your mind, I'm sure it will turn up soon. Did you try the inside pocket of your portfolio? You have a tendency to stick important things in there when you're working at home. Hope you find it! Yes, I will tell you all about it over dinner __J__ XO –T_

Jeanine sat her phone on her desk and reached into one of her bags to pull out her portfolio. She laughed and rolled her eyes when she found the budget report exactly where Tris had suggested looking. She snatched her phone off of her desk and typed out a quick message.

10:28am

_It was exactly where you said it would be! Thank you! Love you, J_

Tris was about to step into the Planetarium when she read Jeanine's text and typed her response.

10:28am

_Happy to help! Lol Love you too J __J__ XO- T_

The rest of the morning passed quickly for both Tris and Jeanine. Tris and Caleb spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon at the aerospace museum. They ate a late lunch, and then caught an action movie at the theater downtown. Jeanine was able to make her presentation with her prepared notes thanks to Tris' advice on where to find the papers. She attended one meeting after lunch and then was able to spend the afternoon in her office to catch up on paperwork.

Caleb and Tris walked out of the movie theater talking animatedly about what they had just watched. They got into Caleb's car and left the movie theater still talking about it. Tris pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Jeanine.

5:12pm

_Headed back, see you soon! XO- T_

"So did you enjoy your birthday" Tris asked even though she already knew the answer. "Yes, I did, thank you Tris" Caleb said smiling. They stopped at a red light and Caleb turned to look at Tris "this was a fun day, but my gift was the best, thank you again." Tris smiled warmly "You're welcome." Tris' phone buzzed and she read the message from Jeanine.

5:13pm

_Sounds great, I'm leaving the office now. See you at home. XO - J_

"So, what do you have planned for tonight" Tris asked as she put her phone back in her jacket pocket. "Dinner with Will and maybe Christina, how about you" Caleb responded as the light turned green and he pulled forward. "I'm not really sure other than having dinner with Jeanine" Tris responded thoughtfully.

The next few moments were a complete blur. Caleb pulled forward and a large black truck going full speed crashed into Caleb's side of the Tahoe. Tris felt her head slam against the glass of the side window. Glass shattered everywhere and a loud ringing noise filled Tris' ears as her vision became blurry. Waves of pain washed through her body from her head and neck. She tried to open her eyes but suddenly felt very lightheaded. Black spots began to appear in her vison as she tried to focus on the dashboard in front of her. Tris painfully turned to see what had caused her to feel so terrible. When she was able to make out what was in front of her she nearly fainted. Tris was able to make out the front end of a truck that had completely crushed Caleb's side of the car, and then she saw Caleb. He was laying limp against the steering wheel, and it didn't look like he was breathing. Tris fought to hold on to her consciousness and opened her eyes wide. Tris tried to reach out to Caleb, but a sharp pain burned down her spine and she realized that she couldn't move. "Caleb" Tris asked her voice sounding weak and frail. "Caleb" Tris tried again sounding a little stronger. "Caleb wake up" Tris said her voice growing in volume although it was killing her head to do so. "Caleb" Tris shouted as loud as she could, becoming desperate. Caleb did not move, and before Tris could begin to comprehend what that could mean her car door was thrown open. Tris turned her head as far as she could to see who had opened the door. She saw a large man wearing a green t-shirt and baseball cap. Tris screamed from the pain that washed through her body as the man lifted her and carried her away from the car. Tris' vision became more blurry, she squeezed her eyes closed and felt her body go cold. "Come on, help me get her in the van" she heard the man carrying her say just before she passed out from the pain that was coursing through her veins.

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I just can't pass up a good cliff hanger ;) Hope you enjoyed some insight into Tris and Caleb's relationship. What do you think so far? Leave me a comment and let me know, thanks -Ashlynn


	4. Chapter 4

Hey there, chapter four is here! I want to thank you all for reading this story and leaving such wonderful comments, they mean a lot to me! This chapter was emotionally the most difficult to write thus far. That being said, I do have a happy ending in mind so don't give up! :) - Ashlynn

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Jeanine tapped her fingers against the steering wheel while she listened to the radio on her way home from work. The day had felt exceedingly long and she was more than ready to be home and enjoy a nice quiet evening. She passed an Italian restaurant on her way home and decided to fix spaghetti for dinner. When she walked into the apartment Jeanine could feel some of the stress leave her body. She went to the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. She smirked as she pulled a pair of dark wash jeans on. She knew Tris loved it when she wore jeans, and she loved that Tris' eyes were always glued to her when she wore them. Jeanine grabbed one of Tris' old t-shirts from a dresser and slipped it on. Her body relaxed even more as she breathed in the scent of Tris' perfume. She left the bedroom smiling and made her way to the kitchen. She turned on the small TV sitting on the counter and hummed to herself as she put a pot of water on the stove and gathered the ingredients to make spaghetti. She dumped the noodles into the boiling water and started to stir the sauce when the six o'clock news started.

_Good evening and thank you for watching channel 7 news. We are starting this broadcast with breaking news. Approximately 45 minutes ago a collision happened downtown. _

Jeanine looked up from the sauce she was stirring to see the image on the scene change from the reporter to a chaotic intersection where a white SUV had been nearly totaled by a large black truck.

_So far we know that a white Chevrolet Tahoe was broadsided by a large black Ford F-150 going nearly full speed. _

Jeanine watched the screen closely when she recognized that was the same kind of vehicle Caleb drove.

_The police have reported the driver of the White Chevrolet Tahoe was Caleb Prior from the Erudite faction._

Jeanine's mouth went dry and the spatula fell into the sauce pan, the spaghetti completely forgotten. She felt her chest tighten and her heart began to pound heavily as the reporter continued.

_We have reports that Caleb is currently in critical condition and has been air-lifted to Hope Medical Center._

Jeanine stood wide eyed and in complete shock as her stomach began to churn and she continued watching the broadcast.

_Witnesses say the suspect driving the truck fled the scene after the accident. However, what is most alarming about this incident is that witnesses are also reporting seeing a passenger of the Tahoe being pulled from the wreckage and loaded into the back of a white van. We now have footage from a nearby store's security camera that shows this event. _

The screen cut to a blurry video without sound. Jeanine did not blink as she watched someone be carried from the crushed Tahoe, and then tossed into the back of a van before it quickly sped out of view.

Her mind raced; Tris had been with Caleb, Tris had been the passenger, Tris had been the one carried from the Tahoe and into the van. "No" she whispered in disbelief, as the reporter continued speaking. "No, no, no" she said shaking her head. "No...Tris" she whimpered the realization starting to set in. Her vision began to blur and she could no longer hear the reporter for the ringing growing louder in her ears. Her stomach tightened into a knot and she stumbled away from the stove to the sink narrowly making it before vomiting. Jeanine held her head over the sink and tried to blink away the black spots that were beginning to appear in her vison. She turned on the kitchen faucet and threw cool water on her face before rinsing out her mouth. Jeanine closed her eyes and braced herself against the counter as her body began to shake violently. "This isn't happening" she heard herself whisper over and over, but she knew it was a lie. She rocked herself back and forth as she felt her heart ache painfully in her chest and tears begin to burn at her eyes. Her head fell forward and she tried to breathe deeply to keep from passing out. Her mind raced back to a much earlier point in her life. Jeanine had been ten years old when her dad told her that her mother had been killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. Jeanine suddenly felt as though she was ten years old again, she wanted to crawl into her father's lap and cry until the whole world went away. The sound of her cell phone vibrating against the counter top brought Jeanine out of her daze. She stared at it for a moment, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. After the third buzz she grabbed the phone from the counter top and answered it shakily "hello?" The voice on the other line was deep and soft "Ms. Matthews?" Jeanine swallowed hard "yes?" "Ms. Matthews my name is Dr. Richardson. I am calling you from Hope Medical Center about a patient of ours - Mr. Caleb Prior" the voice replied. Jeanine closed her eyes as tears slipped from her eyes, it was all too real. "Ms. Matthews" the doctor asked. Jeanine drew a quick breath "is-is he okay" she asked. Jeanine heard the doctor sigh heavily. "I'm afraid not Ms. Matthews. Caleb has severe damage to the left side of his body and due to so many complications we were forced to medically induce a coma. His left leg was completely crushed; he has three broken ribs, along with severe damage to his left arm, shoulder and collar bone as well. I am most concerned with his head trauma though; he has suffered a severe concussion and will likely need surgery soon. The good news is that there does not appear to be any internal bleeding at this point." Jeanine stood stoic, unable to breathe, trying in vain to process all of the information she was just given. Tris was…missing and Caleb was in the hospital and needed surgery. Jeanine leaned over the sink and felt as though she was going to be sick again. "Mrs. Matthews? Are you there?" the doctor asked. Jeanine swallowed hard, "yes, I-I'm here, I will be there shortly." "Okay, I tried to call the other emergency contact listed, Beatrice Prior, maybe you could get in touch with her" the doctor asked. Jeanine inhaled shakily "thank you doctor" and she hung up the phone and sat it on the counter before he had a chance to reply. She exhaled heavily and stared down at the sink. She closed her eyes and willed herself to not get sick again. She grabbed her phone off the counter and opened her messages to see if Tris had texted her. She found the last message Tris had sent, saying she was coming home. Jeanine's stomach lurched again, but she ignored it and hit the call button. She held her breath and lifted the phone to hear ear. "Hey this is Tris; sorry I can't answer the phone right now. Just leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Jeanine felt her heart shatter inside her chest when she heard Tris' voice. Hot tears flowed freely from her blue eyes and stained her flushed cheeks. She heard the beep which meant it was recording her. "T-Tris," she stuttered through her quick breaths, "c-come home…Y–You have to come-come home…" Jeanine hit the end call button and sobs racked her body. She felt anger flood her veins and she threw her phone over the counter and into the living room. "NO!" she yelled into the air. "NO!" she yelled again and slapped her hands against the granite counter top. "Shit" she hissed at the pain that rain through her hands from the contact. She stood in the middle of her kitchen and closed her eyes. She took a couple of deep breaths and wrung her hands out before stretching her neck and rolling her shoulders. "Okay, come on Jeanine, get it together" she said to herself. She shook her head and wrung out her hands again, "okay, here we go." She moved quickly around the kitchen, turning off the oven, TV, and the lights. She ran back to the bedroom grabbed a light jacket and threw on a pair of sneakers. She found her phone under a chair and then glanced quickly around the apartment before grabbing her keys, purse and hurrying down to her car.

Jeanine jumped in her seat when her phone rang in the seat next to her. She scrambled to grab the phone and answer it quickly. "Tris," she said her voice full of desperate hope. "No, Ms. Matthews, I'm sorry. This is detective Tobias Eaton" the voice on the other line said. Jeanine sighed disappointed and sank back into her seat, "Hello detective Eaton." The detective cleared his throat, "Ms. Matthews it has come to our attention that you are a close friend of Caleb Prior. We were hoping you could come down to the station and help answer some questions for us." Jeanine set the cruise control at 85mph and tried to keep her attention on the road in front of her. "Yes, I know Caleb. His sister Beatrice Prior was the girl in the car with him when they were in the accident." The line was silent for a moment, "his sister" the detective asked. "Yes, his sister, that's what I said" Jeanine snapped. Her stomach lurched at the reality of saying it out loud and she pressed her head back against the headrest. "Okay Ms. Matthews, I will be sure to pass that on. I am still going to ask you to come down to the station and talk with us." Jeanine huffed in annoyance "listen, I don't have time to come down to the station. I'm on my way to the hospital." The detective hummed, "Well then how about I meet you there?" Jeanine looked at the clock on the dash and realized she had turned an hour drive into a half hour drive. "Fine, I'll be there in ten minutes," she said and ended the call. Jeanine let the phone drop into her lap before tightly gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands. She drove with her jaw clenched and her knuckles white the rest of the way to the hospital. Her mind reeled with questions; _where is Tris, is she okay, who would do this? Will Caleb be okay? What kind of surgery is he going to need? Is he brain dead?_ But the question that kept hitting her hardest was - _why?_ Jeanine tried to work through the simple facts. Tris is Divergent, which makes her a bit of an outcast simply because her mind works differently. Jeanine remembered hearing about radical anti-Divergent groups in one of her security meetings. But none of the groups had been very active other than a few protests. Tris worked as a chemist, but her work with neurotoxins and anti-hallucinogen products was tightly under wraps. She had served a year in the Dauntless army where she helped bring supplies and order to the people groups outside of the faction system. She didn't have any enemies, at least not that Jeanine knew of. Her mind shifted to Caleb as she tuned into the parking lot. He is part of the Erudite faction, has always had lots of friends, and worked as a successful journalist. It was possible that Caleb could have made an enemy while he was reporting on something, but why would they attempt to kill him and then take Tris? Jeanine became more and more frustrated as she thought about it, nothing seemed to make sense. Jeanine parked her car and stared up at the roof of her car, "God, if you're there, help me…please."

The parking lot at Hope Memorial Hospital was nearly full with several news crews set up outside of the front doors. She took a deep breath trying to prepare herself for the onslaught she knew was about to incur. It was times like this when her career was more of a hassle than a benefit. She nearly made it in the hospital before she was spotted by the camera crews. "Ms. Matthews! Ms. Matthews! Ms. Matthews do you have any information about the disappearance this afternoon? Ms. Matthews are you going to see Caleb Prior? What is the Erudite faction's response to the incident?" Questions were hurled relentlessly at Jeanine as she pushed past the reporters and entered the hospital lobby in frustration. Thankfully the hospital did not allow press inside the building so once she passed through the front doors security was there to blockade the hording mob of reporters. Jeanine looked around the waiting area and quickly spotted the nurses station. "Caleb Prior" she snapped at the nurse sitting behind the counter. The nurse looked up from the computer seemingly confused "excuse me?" Jeanine huffed impatiently, "Caleb Prior – where is he?" The nurse typed Caleb's name into the computer and found his information, "Ah, yes, I just need you to fill out a visitors form first." Jeanine growled and her voice began to grow louder with agitation "Look lady, I don't have time to fill out a damn form. I need to see Caleb!" "Ma'am please calm down" the nurse tried. Jeanine rolled her eyes and did her best to tamper her frustration. "What seems to be the problem here ladies?" a deep voice asked from behind the nurse's station. Jeanine looked up to see an older man in a lab coat walking toward her and looking at her questioningly. "I am here to see Caleb Prior," she said to the approaching man. The man looked at her for a moment before he recognized her face. "Jeanine Matthews, I'm Dr. Richardson. We spoke on the phone earlier." The doctor stood on the other side of the counter and offered to shake Jeanine's hand. Jeanine shook the older man's hand. "Where is Caleb," she asked again, already tired of the formalities. "Follow me," the doctor said and motioned for the nurse to open the doors and allow Jeanine into the patient area. Jeanine met the doctor's long stride with ease as they talked about Caleb's condition and made their way through a series of long hallways. By the time they reached Caleb's hospital room Jeanine had braced herself for the very worst. Unfortunately the worst she had imagined was far from reality.

She stepped into the dimly lit hospital room and pushed back the curtain to reveal what was left of Caleb's once whole body. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth to prevent a scream from escaping. The person on the bed looked nothing like the Caleb she knew and loved. This person was wrapped in white gauze and covered in red blood-stained bandages. This person had skin as white as the sheets and was connected to what seemed like a million machines. Jeanine closed her eyes tightly not wanting to see the image in front of her. She placed a hand on her stomach attempting to keep herself from vomiting again. She drew in a quick breath and her mind filled with vivid and vibrant memories. She was taken back to warm summer nights; Caleb and Tris sitting side-by-side intensely watching their marshmallows cook over the campfire. Caleb smiling happily as he played his guitar and everyone sang happy birthday to her. The feeling of warmth and love that had overtaken her first time Caleb had indicated she was also part of his family. Jeanine exhaled shakily against her hand at the memories and drew in a deep breath before slowly opening her eyes again. The person lying on the hospital bed in front of her looked nothing like the Caleb she knew, yet she knew it was him. Her hands began to tremble and she crossed her arms over her chest in hopes of stilling them. She took another deep breath before stepping hesitantly toward the bed. The closer she got, the more she could make out the deeply scratched and bruised features of his face. A lump formed in her throat and she reached out slowly to brush back a few stray pieces of sandy brown hair. "Caleb," she choked out. Her teeth clenched together and her body trembled as tears slid across her burning cheeks. The mangled and broken body in front of her belonged to someone she knew, someone she trusted, someone she loved, and someone she called family – it belonged to Caleb. Jeanine felt her heart ache with pain as she took Caleb's hand in her own. The room was suddenly filled with loud ringing and Jeanine was jolted from her thoughts. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and answered it weakly, "Hello?" "Hello Ms. Matthews, this is detective Tobias Eaton again. Just calling to let you know that I'm at the hospital." Jeanine sighed and put her hand against her warm forehead, "I am here as well detective, room five in the Critical Care Unit." Three minutes later the detective was lightly knocking on the door of Caleb's hospital room. Jeanine turned her attention from Caleb's scratched face to the detective standing in the doorway. "Ms. Matthews" he said softly as he stepped forward and offered to shake her hand. Jeanine took his hand and shook it firmly "detective Eaton." The detective waved his hand "Tobias is fine ma'am." Jeanine nodded her head in understanding and turned back to Caleb. "Is he going to be okay?" the detective asked quietly. "I hope so," Jeanine sighed. She pulled up a chair from behind her so she was close enough that she could still reach out and touch Caleb. Then she gestured for the detective to take the seat across from her. It was instantly obvious to Jeanine that he was a Dauntless officer. He wore a red t-shirt, and dark wash jeans with his gun and badge secured to his belt. "How long have you been a detective Tobias?" Jeanine asked curiously. "Two years ma'am," Tobias responded as he pulled a small notebook from his pocket. Jeanine hummed to herself thoughtfully. She had expected someone older, someone with more experience to be taking on the case. "I take it you were in the Dauntless army then" she asked. "Yes ma'am, I spent four years in the army before moving to the police academy and becoming a detective." Jeanine sighed heavily and looked down at her hands when she thought about the Dauntless army. It reminded her of Tris, and how completely helpless she felt. Tobias cleared his throat and leaned forward, "Are you ready to get started?" Jeanine checked her phone again, only to find the same thing as before- no new notifications. She nodded her head and the interview began.

Tris continued to float in and out of consciousness; waking because of the pain she felt only to pass out again because of it. She was not sure how long she had been in the van when she felt herself being lifted from it. She did her best to stay conscious, but her sight was blurry and the voices she heard were slightly distorted. She noticed that it was dark and cool until she was left on a cold table in a very bright room. She blinked her eyes rapidly trying to make out her surroundings but failing miserably. The air around her filled with a warm voice and Tris tried to focus on it. "Can you hear me?" the voice asked. "Can you hear me?" the voice asked again. Tris tried to get a better view of where the voice was coming from, but winced from the pain that spread through her body. The voice spoke again "Don't try to move, it will only make you feel worse." Tris grunted in irritation and did as she was told. She tried to say that she could hear the person, but she ended up only coughing instead. She cleared her throat and tried again "yes" she managed to say much softer than she would have liked. "Excellent" said the voice and Tris figured out that it was coming from somewhere behind her head. "I'm going to give you some medication and you should feel better soon." Tris swallowed hard, she felt like running but there was no way she could even sit upright so she just stayed still and waited for whatever was to come. She flinched at the feeling of something poking her in her neck, but before she could say anything her mind was once again consumed by darkness.

When Tris woke she felt a hand on her shoulder and a relatively familiar warm voice in her ear "hey, time to wake up." She stirred as she woke groggy and disoriented. "Hey welcome back, how are you feeling" the same voice asked. Tris turned to her left to see a tall young man in a lab coat standing next to her and now holding her wrist. She stared up at him for a minute before she realized that he was taking her pulse. She glanced around the room and found it was small with a tall cabinet in the corner next to a sink. Tris slowly turned her head from side to side reveling in the fact that there was hardly any pain. She tightened her hands into fists and smiled when she realized that she had full control of her hands and arms once again. "I'll take that as a yes," the young man said as he let go of Tris' wrist. "Who are you?" Tris asked as she sat up on the table and continued stretching her muscles. The young man smiled kindly "my name is Will." Tris threw her legs over the side of the table so she was facing Will, "Well I don't know what you did Will, but thank you. I feel much better." Will laughed softly and handed Tris a glass of water, "You're welcome. You were in pretty rough shape when you got here. You have a concussion and you had several dislocated vertebrae and some pinched nerves. I realigned your spine, but you should expect to have some muscle soreness and maybe slight numbness for a while." Tris downed the glass of water eagerly and asked the question she had been awaiting the answer to, "So where am I, and why am I here?" The young man visibly saddened and Tris felt her stomach twist into a knot. Will pulled a small plastic chair over and sat down next to Tris. He stared at the floor in contemplation before looking back up at Tris. "I realize this isn't going to make sense, but the fewer questions you ask, the better off you will be." Tris furrowed her brows in confusion but decided to go along with it, "Okay... So what can you tell me?" Will folded his hands in his lap and stared down at them while he spoke, "I can't tell you where you are, why you are here or who brought you here." Tris sighed and her shoulders slumped. "…But… I can tell you that the people who brought you here wanted me to heal you." Tris thought about it for a moment. The people who captured her wanted her alive and functioning, but why? She decided to keep playing along and try to get more information from Will, "So what else can you tell me?" Will was quiet for a moment and continued staring down at his hands, "I really can't say anything else." Tris hummed to herself thoughtfully. Either Will was very loyal to these people, or he was afraid of what they might do if he reviled too much information -Tris was betting on the latter of the two. Tris tried to redirect the conversation, "How long have you been here?" Will sighed before looking back up at Tris "a while." Tris felt her heart tug for the young man. He was obviously well educated and seemed like a nice guy. She wondered how he ended up here, wherever here was. He kind of reminded her of Caleb. "Have you heard anything about my brother? Is he okay?" Tris asked in a rushed manor. Will shook his head, "No, I'm sorry, I don't." Tris felt her heart sink in her chest as worry and fear started to fill in her mind. She was brought back to reality when Will checked his watch and stood abruptly, "I'll be right back; I am going to go get us something to eat." Tris' stomach growled audibly at the mention of food and she blushed in embarrassment. Will laughed as he stepped out of the room and left Tris to herself.

She exhaled heavily and stretched her neck before pushing off of the table and walking around the small room. Her legs were a little wobbly at first, but it felt good to stand up and move around. She walked over to the door but found that it was locked. So she went to the sink and looked at herself in the small mirror above it. Her pony tail had nearly fallen out, and she had dark circles under her eyes. But what caught her eye was the large bandage covering her right temple and part of her forehead. She touched it lightly and found it didn't hurt too badly, but she expected it was badly bruised. She turned on the faucet and washed her face with the cool water. When she looked back into the mirror Tris couldn't help but wish she was looking at the mirror in her and Jeanine's bathroom. She wanted to be at home, wanted to be with Jeanine. The door opened swiftly and Will walked back into the room carrying two styrofoam boxes in his hands. Tris smelled the food and returned to the table she had been sitting on. "Hey, feeling better?" Will asked smiling at Tris. "Yeah, had to stretch my legs," Tris said and took one of the boxes Will was offering her. "So how does your head feel?" Will asked as he sat back down in the chair and opened his box. "Mmm…It's okay, slight headache, but not nearly as bad as before," Tris said as she opened her box and found a cheeseburger inside. "Oh my gosh thank you!" Tris exclaimed excitedly as she picked up the burger and took a huge bite. Will laughed, "You're welcome, I've found that after a long day a burger always hits the spot." Tris hummed in agreement and took another big bite. "Do me a favor though," Will said trying to suppress his laugher at watching Tris practically inhale her burger. Tris looked up at him expectantly, "Don't do any jumping jacks or hit your head anytime soon." Tris smiled "deal" she said and took the bottle of water Will was offering her. They ate in companionable silence both enjoying the quiet moment of relative normalcy. When they both finished Will unlocked the cabinet in the corner of the room. "I'm going to give you a sedative to help you sleep, if you need anything just press the button on the side of the table and I will be here as soon as possible." Tris paused for a moment "restroom?" Will relocked the cabinet and held out a small white pill for Tris to take. "Sure, go ahead and take this and then I'll escort you to the restroom." Tris swallowed the pill and they were soon on their way. The hallway they had walked down had white walls and had white tile floors. There were a few doors along the hall, but it was silent other than their footsteps. Tris started to ask Will about the other rooms, but he shook his head before she could finish her question so she decided to let it go. When they returned to the room Tris could feel the sedative starting to take hold. "There is a blanket under the table if you'd like one," Will offered. Tris nodded her thanks with a yawn and pulled it out from under the table. "I'll see you when you wake up," Will said before turning off the light and leaving Tris to herself. Tris curled up on the cool table with the blanket and was quickly pulled into a deep sleep.

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Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Thanks- Ashlynn


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five! This one was tough for me, I wrote it three times from scratch before I was happy with it. Hope you enjoy it! - Ashlynn

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"The last time I heard from Tris was just after five when she sent me a text saying that she was on her way home," Jeanine said and stared down at the white tile floor. "Okay... Can you tell me where you were today between four and seven," Tobias asked as he took down notes. Jeanine sighed heavily and wondered if her day could get any worse. "I was at the office, I left just after I got Tris' text, I wanted to start on dinner before… Before she got home," Jeanine swallowed hard and her hands began to shake. Tris didn't come home, she was supposed to come home and have dinner, but she didn't. Tobias wrote a few things down and gave Jeanine a moment to compose herself, "What did you do after you left work?" Jeanine balled her hands into fists trying to calm the shaking. She felt herself quickly growing tired of the detective's questions. She wanted to go home; she wanted Tris to be there, she wanted Caleb to be okay, and she wanted everything to go back to normal. "I drove home; I started dinner, and then heard the six o'clock news…" Jeanine trailed off. Tobias hummed in thought and decided to shift the focus of his questions, "Is there anyone you can think of who might have something against Tris or Caleb?" Jeanine closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the headrest of the chair, "No." She had been asking herself the same question over and over for the past couple of hours. She wondered if she had been too busy at work recently and missed something that was going on in their lives. They sat in silence, save for the machines, and Tobias tried to come up with different explanations while Jeanine worried about her family.

Tobias leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "Any relationship problems or career issues?" Jeanine shook her head, "No." She closed her eyes and wiped her hand across her face. She decided to go ahead and share what she knew with the detective, "Tris' work is somewhat controversial, but it is tightly under wraps. And Caleb has always loved his work with the newspaper. He's not in a relationship that I know of." "Tris' work is controversial?" Tobias asked. Jeanine opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling, "Yeah, she is a biomedical engineer in the Erudite medical community. Recently she has been working on an anti- hallucinogen serum." Tobias shook his head in confusion, "An anti-what?" Jeanine rolled her eyes and looked over at Tobias, "An anti-hallucinogen; it will prevent people from being influenced by any kind of dissociative drug. It's still in the experimental stages right now." Tobias was slightly taken aback, "So… People would think like Divergents?" "Yes, well, kind of… People who are Divergent are naturally resilient to any kind of hallucination – causing drug-" "Right, which is why people are so afraid of them. They could drug the air, water supply or even our food and we could all fall unknowingly under their control," Tobias interrupted. _Typical Dauntless_ Jeanine thought to herself _always worried if they aren't in control_. "Yes, but so far the drug has been unsuccessful in lasting more than 24 to 48 hours." "That would be enough time for people to figure out what was going on," Tobias argued. "Sure, but after that time was up they could be influenced again. It would be much easier if it was a vaccine everyone only had to take once and it would last a lifetime," Jeanine reasoned. If the detective wanted to try to pin this all on Divergents, he had picked the wrong person to try to convince. Jeanine dropped her voice to a menacing tone, "Besides, we can't be too careful after the attempted Dauntless coo a couple of years ago." Tobias laughed awkwardly and Jeanine pursed her lips in silent satisfaction.

They sat in silence for a while before Tobias asked, "Is there anyone else you can think of? Anyone at all?" Jeanine shook her head as she watched the IV drip hanging next to Caleb's bed almost empty out. She leaned forward and hit the call button so a nurse would come by and change it out. "No, I wish there was someone who stood out to me. But I can't think of anyone who would have anything against either of them," Jeanine said as she kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up into the chair. "Where are their parents, if you don't mind me asking," Tobias questioned curiously. Jeanine looked at Caleb while she spoke quietly, "They died in a fire… Caleb was able to wake Tris in time for them to jump out of a second story window, but it was already too late for their parents… They lost everything." The room was silent for a moment longer. Tobias leaned his head back against the wall, "that's terrible." Jeanine sighed and leaned forward to place her hand on Caleb's, "Yeah… But they're fighters, both of them." The nurse came in and changed the IV bag before the conversation continued.

"What about you," Tobias asked. Jeanine was pulled from her thoughts, "What?" Tobias repeated the question, "What about you? Do you have any enemies that might try to do this?" Jeanine scoffed and stifled a laugh, "Tobias I am the leader of Erudite faction. I'm responsible for the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. So, yes, there are some people that don't like me." She folded her arms across her chest and sat back in the chair. The questions were becoming irritating and she really just wanted to sit in silence so she could think. "Do you think any of those people would do this," Tobias gestured to Caleb. Jeanine exhaled deeply and she closed her eyes in thought for a moment. There were honestly several people that did not like her. She had been raised in a wealthy home, went to the best schools, and received the best training. When she first ran for office many people saw her as an elitist, and a huge disconnection between her and the people of the faction developed. It took years of public service before people began to recognize that she cared equally for all social classes and people groups. Jeanine gained a lot of popularity among the middle and lower classes when she made the controversial proposal that students should be free to study in factions other than the one they were born in. The year Jeanine's father passed away she became the youngest politician to ever hold office. She was also the first woman to hold a position among Erudite leadership. Things had been far from easy for Jeanine when she was just starting out. She was an outspoken woman in a traditionally man's positon, surrounded by an all-male governing body. She worked hard and eventually she was able to gain the respect and confidence of many of her co-leaders. By the time Jeanine met Tris she was the leader of the Erudite faction and in the process of shutting down the Dauntless rebellion.

"I have done a lot of controversial things during my time as Erudite's leader," Jeanine said thoughtfully. She paused for a moment as she thought about the past few years. "But I think the most controversial thing I have done was create the Divergent task force during the Dauntless rebellion a couple of years ago." Tobias' curiosity was sparked, "tell me about the task force." Jeanine pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath, "The Divergent task force was an idea I came up with when I heard that the Dauntless rebels were going to attempt to release an aerosol form of hallucinogenic drugs. I knew that the Divergents would remain unaffected by the drug and therefore would not be persuaded into leaving Erudite unprotected. I provided Divergents with a way to participate and contribute to society. While Divergents have become more accepted in our society, it was a big risk to allow them into the Erudite headquarters. Many people thought it was too risky, but I decided to continue with it anyway." "So do you think one of the people who thought it was too risky would have something to do with this?" Jeanine shook her head, "No, we defeated the rebellion thanks to the Divergents, remember?" The room fell silent for a few more minutes before Tobias spoke again, "Do you think it could be someone at Dauntless?" Jeanine turned to look at Tobias in the eyes, "It has certainly crossed my mind. Either Dauntless or…." Jeannie trailed off in thought and looked away. "Or what," Tobias asked, he could tell Jeanine was having an idea. Jeanine sat stoic as hear mind raced; _reports of missing equipment, uprising outside of the factions, new terrorist threats made…_ "Shit," she said as realization hit her. "What," Tobias asked eager to know what Jeanine had just thought about. Jeanine grabbed her phone out of her pocket, "I know who did this."

Tris woke with a deep groan; someone had turned on the lights. She pulled the blanket up over her head to block the light and yawned, "Too early." She yawned again before settling into a comfortable position and grumbling, "Jeanine, come back to bed." Will heard all of Tris' grumbling and laughed softly to himself, "Good morning." He shut the door behind and stepped toward the examination table Tris was using as a bed. Tris' eyes opened wide in surprise, that voice did not belong to Jeanine. She stared at the blanket covering her head and realized she did not recognize it. Her heart started to pound in her chest; she threw the blanket back in panic and sat up quickly. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on the man standing in front of her. She stared at him for a moment before recognition set it, "Will," she said trying to calm her heart. "Morning," Will said with a small smile. Tris yawned and stretched her shoulders, "Morning." "How are you feeling today," Will asked then took a seat across from Tris. She blinked a few times still groggy, "better, I slept really well." Will nodded his head, "Good, do you feel like you're up for a walk? There are still a few more tests I am required to run, and now that you are feeling better I think we can begin." Tris looked at Will cautiously and wondered what other tests he was talking about. She decided it would be nice to at least leave the room and she pushed herself off of the table, "Sure." Tris followed Will out of the small examination room and down the hall. He led her into another room; this one was bigger and had several computer screens lining the walls. He shut the door behind Tris and told her to have a seat on a chair that was placed in the middle of the room. Tris sat in the chair and gasped when she leaned back and found her head between two metal plates. "They measure brain waves," Will told Tris noticing her surprise. Tris swallowed hard, "looks more like a torture device." Will shook his head and a warm smile spread across his face, "It's painless, I promise." Tris folded her hands in her lap and rubbed her thumb against her palm, trying to calm her nerves. Will typed some information into the computer next to Tris' chair and suddenly all of the screens lit up. He handed Tris a small glass, "Bottoms up." Tris looked at the glass for a moment, and she realized what was going on. "I'm afraid this probably won't work," she said tipping the glass back and swallowing the liquid all at once. She knew that because she is Divergent, her mind could not be influenced or manipulated in a simulation. She handed the glass back to Will, "I think you'll be surprised," he replied and turned back to the computer. Tris leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes as she became lost in her own mind.

Tris looked up to see herself in the mirror. Her long brunette hair was pulled back into a perfect up do and her makeup was flawless. She looked down and brushed off her floor length white gown. Her heart began to beat heavily in her chest and her stomach was full of butterflies. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Beatrice? Honey, are you ready?" Tris looked at herself one more time in the mirror before standing up from the vanity, "Yeah, come on in mom." Natalie Prior stepped into the small changing room and was overcome with emotion when she saw her daughter standing in her wedding dress, "Oh Beatrice, you look beautiful." Tris smiled brightly and embraced her mom in a warm hug, "Thanks mom," she whispered. Natalie cleared her throat and did her best to blink away the tears in her eyes. She took Tris' shaking hands in her own and held them tightly, "Are you ready?" Tris closed her eyes and took another deep breath trying to calm her nerves. She looked back at her mom and nodded her head, "Yeah, I think so." Natalie smiled, "I'm so proud of you Beatrice." Tris felt the pounding in her chest increase. "I'm proud of the person you have become, and I am already proud of the person I know you will be. You are a beautiful young woman and I am so happy you have someone to share your life with." Tris swallowed hard and tried to choke back her own tears. Natalie smiled brightly and stroked the back of Tris' hands with her thumbs, "I look forward to seeing what will happen in your future. You and Jeanine have a big adventure ahead of you, make sure to enjoy it! Life will not always be easy and it will present you with many obstacles to overcome. Remember that after this day you have a constant friend and companion who is there to help you along the way. You're father and I could not be more happy for you, and we know no matter what you both face - your future will be filled with love." Natalie reached out and wrapped her daughter in another warm hug, "We love you Beatrice." Tris smiled and embraced her mother tightly, "I love you too mom, thank you," she whispered. They stood together until Natalie released her hold and did her very best to blink away the tears filling her eyes, "Now come on, we can't keep your bride waiting." Tris smiled and a surge of confidence washed through her body with the thought of Jeanine. She picked up her rose bouquet from the vanity and nodded to her mom, "Okay, I'm ready."

Tris paced back and forth and fanned herself. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, "Oh God please don't let me pass out." Her body was on fire with nerves and excitement as she waited for the music to cue her entry. She shook out her arms and rolled her neck from side to side before standing in front of the wooden double doors and clutching her bouquet tightly. The music began to play and Tris felt her heart race wildly in her chest. "Okay," she breathed, and the double doors opened to reveal the rose-petal covered isle ahead of her. She stepped forward and her eyes wandered up the isle until they found her bride walking toward her from the other end of the isle. When planning the wedding they had decided to walk the isle at the same time. So Jeanine walked from one side of the room, and Tris from the other. They both enjoyed the symbolism of truly meeting each other halfway. Jeanine's crystal blue eyes locked onto hers and the air left Tris' lungs. She suddenly had tunnel vision, everything she could see was Jeanine; blonde tendrils framing an ivory face with pink cheeks, red lips, blue eyes, and a simple yet elegant white floor length gown. A smile spread across Tris' lips before reaching her eyes. Her heart leapt in her chest as she continued to move forward easily matching her pace to Jeanine's. They walked toward each other never breaking eye contact until they both stood together under a small archway. Tris could now see the tears that had risen in Jeanine's eyes and she reached out to take her fiancé's hand. Jeanine wound their fingers together and they each handed off their bouquets before turning back to face each other and hold hands. Tris smiled brightly and whispered, "You look beautiful." Jeanine's smile grew brighter, "Thank you, so do you," she whispered back and gave Tris' hands a squeeze.

"Please be seated," the officiant said and Tris looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of her father, mother and brother all sitting in the front row and smiling at her and Jeanine. Natalie gave Tris a small wink and Tris felt a sense of peace spread through her body. She turned back to face Jeanine as the officiant continued; "Welcome family and friends to the ceremony that will unite Jeanine Matthews and Beatrice Prior in marriage. Today we bear witness to the fact that real love, true love is something so powerful it can transform an unlikely friendship into the love of a lifetime." Tris squeezed Jeanine's hands tightly. She was nervous, but it was the best feeling in the world. "Beatrice and Jeanine have made their own vows and would like to share them now." The officiant nodded to Jeanine and Tris watched as Jeanine closed her eyes and took a deep breath before beginning. "Tris, I have been thinking the last couple of months of what I would say to you today, and I want you to know that every word I say comes from the depths of my heart and my love for you." Tris felt her heart swell in her chest and her mouth go dry as Jeanine's warm velvet voice filled the room, "I want to say thank you. Thank you for accepting me for who I am, and who I will become. Thank you for being my best friend, for listening and always caring for me. Thank you for your patience when I am stressed, and never giving up on me. You have made me a better person. And I am so grateful that you bring joy and love to my life every day." Jeanine paused to clear her throat as the tears in her eyes began to fall down her cheeks. "I want to thank you for choosing to share your life with me. Over the past few years we have endured things that have tested us, and driven us to our emotional limits. But we did not break, and we will never break. For whatever life throws at us, I know we will conquer it together. I promise to always listen, and to be there for you in times of want and in times of need. I promise to keep myself open and honest, to grow along with you, and most importantly, I promise to love you with every beat of my heart. I give you my hand to hold, and my life to keep. I promise to always be at your side as your best friend and your wife."

Tris reached out with a soft smile and wiped away the tears that had started to fall down Jeanine's cheeks. "Beatrice, if you would like to give your vows," the officiant said turning to her. Tris nodded her head and swallowed hard. Her heart beat hard in her chest and she looked down at her feet when she felt her blush spread over her body. Jeanine squeezed her hands in comfort and Tris looked up to meet Jeanine's blue eyes. It was there that Tris found the strength and courage to make her vows. Her voice was shaky at the start, but sincere and full of conviction, "Jeanine, I want to start by saying how grateful I am to have met you and become your friend. As we stand here today I don't think my heart could be any more full of love for you and hope for our future. You have given my life direction, purpose and meaning. Today, in front of our friends and our family, I promise to love you with a passion that will bring the world to its knees." Jeanine giggled softly and a bright smile returned her face as Tris continued, "I promise to fight for you and defend you from the world and from yourself if necessary. I will wage war against your demons when you are tired and have given up the fight. My arms will be your shelter and my heart will be your home. I will be your strength when you are weak and your place of comfort in your time of need. I promise to rejoice in your success, and encourage you in your endeavors. Jeanine I marry you today with no hesitation and no doubt. My promises to you are absolute as my love for you is true. Everything that is me, was yours long before this day, and will be yours long after. As long as I live and breathe, you will never walk alone and you will always have a friend at your side. Falling in love with you has been the greatest adventure of my life. Whatever the future holds for us, know that I will be with you anywhere and everywhere we may go. So today, and for the rest of my life, I promise you my mind, heart, body and soul. I give to you all that I am, and all that I will be." Jeanine cupped Tris' face in her hands and brushed away the happy tears that were falling from her eyes.

The officiant cleared his throat and Jeanine let her hands slide down Tris' arms until lacing their fingers together again. The officiant held their wedding bands in his hand, "Rings have no beginning and no end, they are an eternal circle. These rings will signify your love for each other, may it be eternal and unending for the rest of your days." The officiant handed them both their respective rings, "Jeanine Matthews, do you take Beatrice Prior, to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live?" the officiate asked. "I do," Jeanine replied her voice full of emotion and her smile brighter than ever as she slid the ring on Tris' finger. They both did their best to keep their tears at bay when the officiate turned to Tris, "Beatrice Prior, do you take Jeanine Matthews, to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live?" "I do," Tris said and slid the ring on Jeanine's finger. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much but she could not stop herself; she had never felt happier or more loved in her life. "I love you," Jeanine whispered. "I love you too," Tris replied and the officiant continued, "Jeanine and Beatrice, it gives me great pleasure to officially pronounce you married and partners for life. You may kiss the bride." They smiled at each other before leaning in and sharing a soft yet passionate kiss. When Tris' lips met Jeanine's she felt her head suddenly become dizzy and a burning pain course through her body. She closed her eyes tightly as her body rebelled against her and she couldn't breathe.

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To those of you who have asked me for a Trinine wedding, you're welcome ;) I didn't realize how difficult wedding vows are to write until I wrote this chapter and I sincerely hope I did them justice! Thank you all for your wonderful comments, they mean a lot to me! :)

I'm interested to know who you think kidnapped Tris? Leave me a comment and let me know, thanks - Ashlynn


	6. Chapter 6

I want to thank you all for your wonderful comments, they mean a lot to me!

Chapter six is here! I want to encourage you to take your time reading this chapter, we have some new characters! As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter. - Ashlynn

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Jeanine scrolled through her contact list quickly until she found the person she was looking for and punched the call button with her thumb. "What? Who is it?" Tobias asked leaning in so far he almost tipped his chair over. Jeanine waved her hand and shushed him while the phone rang. "Hello thank you for calling Dauntless headquarters, you have reached-" Jeanine cut the receptionist off, "Lauren this is Jeanine, I need to talk to Max, now!" Tobias quickly stood up and moved to stand directly in front of Jeanine after he heard his faction leader's name. He leaned in trying to overhear the conversation. "Ms. Matthews I'm sorry but he has already left for the evening." Jeanine groaned in frustration, "Well patch me through to his cell phone." "Y-yes ma'am" the secretary stammered and the phone started ringing again. "Hello?" Max's voice was groggy and heavy with sleep. "Max, this is Jeanine. I apologize for waking you at such a late hour but I am in need of your assistance." Max yawned on the other end of the line, "What can I do for you Jeanine?" Jeanine got right to the point, "I need you to put me in touch with Sargent Tori Wu." "Okay," Max groaned, and Jeanine heard shuffling in the background. "What's going on Jeanine? You wouldn't call me this late just to get in touch with a military sergeant." Jeanine sighed and brushed off her pant leg, "You're right Max. I'm sure you are aware of the accident that happened this evening that sent one person to the hospital and the other went missing." Max sighed audibly, "Of course I did, terrible thing that. Listen, there should have been a detective sent to debrief you on the events of the day. If there wasn't I can have-" "He is here," Jeanine interrupted Max. Tobias' eyes instantly went wide and he met Jeanine's glance, "He is doing a fine job." Tobias visibly relaxed and offered Jeanine a small smile. "Then why are you calling me Jeanine?" Max asked, his impatience growing. "I know who kidnapped Tris," Jeanine said very coolly. "What," Max asked sounding confused. Jeanine sighed, saying this out loud was not getting any easier, "I know who kidnapped the girl this afternoon. Her name is Beatrice Prior, she is Caleb Prior's younger sister and she was with him today when the accident happened." "Who do you think kidnapped her?" Max asked eagerly. "That's what I need to talk to Sargent Tori Wu," Jeanine replied firmly. She heard Max grumble something inaudibly one the other end of the line before he gave her Tori's number.

As soon as Jeanine hung up the phone she was bombarded with questions from Tobias, "What did Max say? Who is Tori Wu? Do you think she kidnapped Tris? What are you going to do?" "Tobias," Jeanine said in a commanding tone. "Hush, I will answer your questions in a moment. For now, I need to make another phone call. So if you don't mind please make your way back to your chair and I will be with you in a moment." Tobias sighed heavily and reluctantly returned to his chair. As Jeanine placed the call to Tori her eyes wandered until they once again took in the sight of Caleb's broken and bruised form lying in front of her. The heaviness in her chest grew and she inhaled shakily just before a scratchy voice came through on the other line, "Hello?" "Sargent Tori Wu," Jeanine asked. "Yeah," Tori replied through a muffled groan, "Who is this?" Jeanine swallowed hard and did her best to sound professional, "This is Jeanine Matthews, leader of the Erudite faction." Tori cleared her throat and tried to sound as alert as possible, "Ms. Matthews, what can I do for you?" Jeanine let her head fall against the back of the chair and she closed her eyes. She couldn't believe that she was here, that she was doing this. She used her free hand to reach up and begin massaging at the tension that had formed in her shoulders. "Ms. Matthews," Tori asked again after she received no response. Jeanine drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling heavily. She was about to relive the past 12 hours all over again and the helpless feeling in her chest only grew. "I believe a few years ago you served with someone by the name of Beatrice Prior." Tori responded instantly in recognition, "Tris, yeah we served together outside of the factions a few years ago." Jeanine swallowed hard, "She was kidnapped earlier today… I could use your help getting her back." Tori sat in quiet surprise, "What happened?" Jeanine took another deep breath and braced herself before launching into the events that had happened leading up to Tris' kidnapping and everything that had happened since.

"Wow," Tori said as she processed all of the information Jeanine had just unloaded on her. "Any idea who is responsible for her abduction?" Jeanine looked at Caleb and shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "Yes, but I am not completely sure, and I want to have evidence before I begin accusing anyone." Tori hummed in agreement, "What can I do to help?" Jeanine paused in thought for a moment. What she was about to ask Tori to do could not only cost the sergeant her position in Dauntless military, but it could cost her life. "Tori please understand that I know the weight and possible punishment for the outcome of what I am about to ask you to do." The other end of the line remained silent so Jeanine decided to continue, "I will understand if you do not want to comply or participate in this plan, and I assure you that it will not be held against you in your future." Jeanine heard Tori release a deep breath, "What do you need me to do?" A small smile tugged at the corner of Jeanine's mouth. Tris had spoken highly of Tori when she recalled her time spent with the Dauntless military. Jeanine was glad she had trusted Tris' judgment and kept tabs on Tori as she advanced through the Dauntless military. She pulled her legs up in the chair and began to tell Tori her plan, "I need you to do some recon work for me. I believe the people who took Tris were from outside of the factions. However, they couldn't have pulled off such a well-organized operation without help from someone on the inside."

Tobias sat up quickly in his chair and Tori voiced the question that was on his mind, "Do you think someone from Dauntless had something to do with her disappearance?" Jeanine pursed her lips in thought; she knew she had to be careful about what she said. "I am not making any accusations until I have further information and evidence. For now, it is just a thought." Jeanine looked over to see Tobias sink back in his chair with a stunned expression on his face. "Okay… Who would you like me to focus my recon work on," Tori asked quietly. Jeanine continued looking at Tobias as he let his head fall back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. "I would like you to watch Max," she said simply. Tobias' eyes went wide when he heard his faction leader's name and he stared at Jeanine. "Uhhh….Okay," Tori stammered on the other end of the line. "I understand if you don't want to do this," Jeanine assured Tori. The line was silent for a moment as Tori contemplated what Jeanine was asking her to do. "Let me make sure I understand you correctly. You want me to spy on the leader of the Dauntless faction, my superior officer, to see if he is involved in the kidnapping of a divergent Erudite scientist. And, if it's true, could result in a second civil war." Jeanine released a small laugh; Tori had made it all sound so simple. "Yes, Tori, that is exactly what I am asking you to do." Jeanine and heard Tori release a deep breath, "I must be out of my mind. I'll see what I can do for you Ms. Matthews. But I'm not promising anything. I'm not even sure I will be able to collect good intel. Max tends to keep things pretty close to his chest." Jeanine's heart lifted just slightly, someone was willing to help. "I understand Tori, thank you for your help." Jeanine asked Tori to fill her in when she had new information and ended the call.

She dropped her phone into her lap and stretched her arms above her head. Her body was tired and her muscles were sore from being tense for so long. She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped and she collapsed back into the chair. "So what's going on," Tobias asked still trying to figure everything out. Jeanine sighed and looked down at her hands, "I'm not entirely sure Tobias, but hopefully we will get some answers soon." He stood from the chair and tucked his notebook into his pocket, "Well if you learn anything please give me a call." He walked over to Jeanine and handed her his business card. "I'll be back tomorrow," he offered and Jeanine simply nodded her head. Tobias looked over his shoulder at Caleb and then to the woman in front of him. He shook his head at the sight, one suffered from a broken body and the other suffered from a broken heart. "Jeanine, for what it's worth, I'm sorry this happened, and I will do whatever I can to help get Tris back." Jeanine gave Tobias a small smile, "Thank you Tobias." He nodded in return and left Jeanine with Caleb and her thoughts.

Jeanine stretched her legs and let her feet meet the floor. She leaned forward and propped her elbows up on her knees. She closed her eyes and ran both of her hands over her face before stopping them halfway down. Her fingertips pressed against her cheek bones and her pinkies rested over her lips. She slowly drew in a deep breath and did her best to focus on feeling her diaphragm expand as her lungs filled with air. She held her breath for a moment before exhaling though her lips and allowing her hands to clasp together in front of her face. Then she leaned forward and let her forehead rest against her hands. Her body began to shake as the fear and helplessness of the situation began to sink in. She gently rocked herself back and forth for a while as tears began to fall from her eyes. She thought about Tris, and she thought about her parents. She wished they were with her to help her, and to be a shoulder to lean on. Her voice was quiet and weak when she finally spoke, "Mom, Dad, I'm not sure if you're listening. But if you are, I could really use some help down here."

Jeanine's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. She wiped the tears from her cheeks before drawing in a deep breath and sitting up. She turned to see Dr. Richardson walking into the room clipboard in hand. "Hey, how are we doing," he asked warmly. Jeanine looked at Caleb, "Well, we've certainly been better." The doctor nodded in understanding as he put on a pair of gloves and began checking Caleb's vitals. "How's he doing," Jeanine asked inquiring about Caleb's most recent test results. The doctor was quiet for a moment as he took a look at the wound on Caleb's head. "He is holding steady which is a good sign. But the swelling around his brain has not decreased as much as I had hoped," he replied. "What does that mean," Jeanine asked her voice filling with concern. The doctor started checking the numbers on machines Caleb was connected too, "Well if the swelling does not recede by morning, we will likely need to do surgery tomorrow afternoon." Jeanine felt as though a huge weight had instantly been placed on her shoulders and she was unsure of how much more she could handle.

The doctor finished making notes on his clipboard and turned to Jeanine, "How are you doing," Jeanine ran her hand through her hair and sighed, "I'm okay." She turned away as the doctor motioned he was about to change Caleb's bandages. "You know," the doctor said kindly, "I once heard someone say that; where there is hope, there is faith. And where there is faith, miracles happen." Jeanine furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out where she had heard that phrase before. Then it hit her, "I said that." "Yes ma'am you did," the doctor replied cheerfully. Jeanine laughed softly and shook her head. Her mind traveled back to the day she had given a speech and used that line, "That was in the spring. We had just opened a new children's hospital." "Right again," the doctor confirmed. The room fell quiet and Jeanine turned back around when she heard the doctor removing his gloves. "Were you there," she asked. Dr. Richardson smiled, "Yes ma'am I was. It was a great speech; you had lots of people on their feet and out of their chairs that day. And, you did a really great thing by opening that hospital." Jeanine smiled at the memory, "That seems like forever ago now." The doctor tossed his gloves in the waste bin and walked around the hospital bed to crouch down in front of Jeanine, "You know Ms. Matthews; we have a great team of physicians and experts here." Jeanine nodded her head, and the doctor gently reached out and placed his hand on hers. "We have the best equipment, and we practice the newest methods in treatment. But sometimes the best medicine is our very own." A smile crept across Jeanine's face and she did her best to restrain her tears as the doctor continued, "I know things are very difficult for you right now. But don't give up hope, have faith, because where there is faith..." Jeanine finished the phrase with him, "…Miracles happen." Jeanine smiled brightly and warmth flooded her chest; she knew that her parents had heard her prayer. She thanked the doctor for his kind words and he promised to return in the morning to check in on Caleb.

The doctor left and once again Jeanine was left alone with Caleb and her thoughts. She leaned forward and placed her hand on Caleb's and spoke with conviction, "I have faith Caleb. You will get better, I just know it." She gave his hand a tight squeeze before leaning back in the chair, and pulling her feet back underneath her. She thought of Tris and checked her phone again, only to find there were no new messages or notifications. She locked the screen, dropped it to her lap and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned her head back against the chair and stared blankly ahead. She silently thanked her parents and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She closed her eyes and her mind began to wander back though the events of the day and everything she had experienced. The day had started off pretty well, but everything had fallen apart in a matter of seconds. She tightened her hold around her midsection as she felt tears began to sting at her tired eyes. She didn't try to stop them though; she knew there would be no point. The two people she loved most had been torn away from her. Caleb, the person she considered to be her very own brother, was lying in front of her severely injured and possibly in need of lifesaving surgery. While the person she wanted to spend her life with was who-knows- where and could be injured or worse. Jeanine shivered at the thought, and pushed it from her mind. She curled into herself tightly and after a few long hours, sleep overcame her restless mind. In the early morning hours, just before she woke, Jeanine's dreams were filled with complete joy. She dreamt of smiling faces, long white gowns, and red rose bouquets.

Tris felt her stomach churn as the floor fall out from underneath her feet and a feeling of weightlessness took over her body. She tried inhaling but found her attempts were in vain. She could feel herself falling but she couldn't see where to or where from. Suddenly her back slammed into something hard and she launched herself forward eyes coming wide open and gasping desperately for air. Her heart raced rapidly in her chest as she drew in a deep breath and the air stung at her lungs. She blinked rapidly attempting to clear her vision and keep her head from spinning any faster than it already was. Her body swayed back and forth as she realized she was sitting on a cold hard surface. She quickly jumped from the chair and stumbled blindly to stay upright. She collided into a hard surface and looked up to find her blurry reflection in a full length mirror. Her face was flush and stained with tears, her hair was pulled into a messy pony tail, and she was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a familiar leather jacket. But her dress was gone, her makeup and fancy hairdo had all been wiped away. Her body began to tremble and she felt a tight knot form in her chest. She pushed herself off of the mirror and stared at herself in confusion before leaning forward and bracing herself against the cool glass. Her head swam with everything she had experienced and she felt her heart sink in her chest. She stared down at a white tile floor and let her eyes fall closed. Her mind filed with images of everything she had just experienced. Red rose bouquets, a smooth floor length white gown, her friends and her family all watching at waiting. Then her mind filled with nothing but Jeanine, her beautiful bride, smiling, laughing, and happy. She opened her eyes to look at herself in the mirror again and reality came crashing down on her. She tried in vain to swallow the bile that rose in her throat. The strength she managed to cling to left her body at once and she fell to the floor on her knees before vomiting again. Tears filled her eyes as she felt her entire world ripped from her grasp. She had just been there, Jeanine had just been holding her hands, they had been so happy, everything was right. Now, it was all gone.

She pressed her palms against the cold tile floor as violent sobs began to rack her body. Blinding heat flooded through her and her muscles quivered in rebellion as reality continued to sink in. Her happy ending, everything she wanted, everything she had dreamed, was right there in front of her. She had seen it, heard it, felt it, and now it was all gone. She clamped her jaw shut tightly and began to sway back and forth as cool tears covered her flush and burning cheeks. Her body shook with tremors as her mind traveled between what she had experienced and what her reality was now. She knew it was a vision, a dream, but it had been so real. She had been there, heart, mind, body and soul. She had been nervous, happy, excited and loved. She had felt it all, only to have it torn away when it had all been right.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder and Tris recoiled as if it was fire. Her brown eyes locked onto Will's and she felt anger surge through her veins. "Get away from me," she growled at him. "Tris," Will tried. "No," Tris snapped, "You don't get to speak! You're a monster!" Her body shook with raw anger and she clenched her hands into fists. Finding strength in her anger, Tris stood from the floor and squared her shoulders toward Will, "What did you do to me," she spat. Will glanced down at the floor before standing and looking back at Tris, "I did what I had to do." He sounded entirely calm and it only made Tris' anger grow, "What the hell does that mean? You only did what you had to?" Will did his best to stay calm and shoved his hands into his pockets, "Yes." Tris took a step forward so she was almost touching Will. Her voice dropped into a low and menacing tone, "What the hell did you do to me?" Will swallowed hard but stood his ground, "I-I gave you a sedative. Then when you were asleep, I was able to influence your subconscious mind." Tris' mind raced quickly, "Influence my mind," she asked still unyielding. "Yes," Will said plainly, and turned to walk away from Tris. Once he reached the computer sitting next to the chair Tris had been in he continued, "When you're asleep your brain behaves differently. Your subconscious thoughts emerge and you have little to no control about what you dream." Tris stood in contemplative silence for a moment, "So you influenced my dreams?" Will turned back to Tris and nodded his head, "Right. I knew that you were divergent so I wouldn't be able to use a hallucination serum because your conscious would still be active. But, when we dream our mind is relatively unprotected and can be easily influenced." Tris exhaled heavily in frustration and shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. She stared down at her boots and kicked nervously at the floor, "So why did you need to manipulate my mind?" She looked up to see Will's face become very solemn. He turned back to the computer screen before responding, "I had to find out the thing you love most." Tris furrowed her brow in worry and confusion, "Why?" Will tapped his finger nervously against the keyboard and looked over his shoulder back at Tris, "Because the thing you love most is your greatest weakness." Tris felt her stomach tighten into a knot. Her mouth went dry and she chewed at her bottom lip, "So what did you find?" Will turned away from the computer so he was facing Tris, "Well, at first I thought it was your mother… But as the dream continued, I learned about Jeanine." Tris' body shook at hearing her lover's name, "Why did you need to find out my greatest weakness?" Fear swept through Tris' body when he heard Will's response, "So it can be used against you, to make you more... cooperative."

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Boom! That's right, they had the same dream! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. If you have any questions please ask! Thanks – Ashlynn


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Chapter seven has finally arrived! Sorry for the delay, I don't like to write unless I feel completely connected to the characters and to the story. It has taken a different direction than I had originally intended. But don't worry; I still have that happy ending in mind! :) Enjoy :) -Ashlynn

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_Will turned away from the computer so he was facing Tris, "Well, at first I thought it was your mother… But as the dream continued, I learned about Jeanine." Tris' body shook at hearing her lover's name, "Why did you need to find out my greatest weakness?" Fear washed through Tris' body when he heard Will's response, "So it can be used against you, to make you more... cooperative."_

"Cooperative," Tris questioned, her eyes never leaving Will. "Yeah," he sighed heavily and turned away. Tris watched as Will stood and made his way to the door then motioned for her to follow. Her feet were heavy, and her body felt like it might collapse, but she followed along the best she could. They slowly made their way down the long corridor in silence. Tris tried to focus on calming her nerves and racing mind as she plodded along behind Will. Tris noticed that the longer they walked, the louder the hallways became. After a few turns they stopped at the end of the hall and Tris gasped at in the scene in front of her. The hallway lead to a large open room with steel beams and concrete floors. The room echoed with hundreds of voices and Tris wondered how she had not heard them before. They stopped walking and Will turned to Tris, "This is factionless." Tris' eyes went wide. "All of these people are factionless," She asked in suprise. Her eyes scanned over the large room full of people. "Yes," Will answered simply, "And there are many more." Tris looked up to see the many floors of the building she was in, there had to be twenty at least. "Wow," she exhaled and gripped tightly at the railing in front of her. They stood there for a moment and Will let Tris takr in the massive size of the atrium. "Come on," he said after a moment and led Tris down the staircase and onto the main floor of the atrium. Tris watched as hundreds of people sat at tables all laughing, smiling and eating. Her stomach growled audibly and a blush spread across her cheeks. She put her hand over her stomach as if to muffle the noise, but no one took notice since it was so loud in the room. Will stopped and turned back to face Tris, "This is the main atrium. It is mostly used as a cafeteria, but large meetings are held here as well." Tris nodded her head in recognition but said nothing.

"Are you hungry," Will asked with a small smile, already knowing the answer. "Yeah," Tris said quietly, and took the metal tray Will offered her. Truthfully, her stomach was still upset. But Tris was not about to turn down food when she was unsure of when she might get the chance to eat again. Will and Tris leisurely made their way down the cafeteria line and Tris watched as Will picked up a fruit cup with yogurt. She looked back and forth between a burger and a grilled chicken salad. Evenually she picked up the salad and put it on her tray. A small smile reached her lips, Jeanine would be proud of her food selection. They found a couple of empty seats near the edge of the room and Tris took in the view while they ate. She had heard stories of factionless people, but she had no idea that there were so many, or that they had so much technology. She took a bite of her salad and looked back to Will. He seemed to be a nice guy, minus the whole manipulating dreams deal. And although it seemed slightly militaristic, the Factionless compound seemed nice as well. She furrowed her brows in thought, and wondered for the thousandth time, why was she here?

Will cleared his throat and snapped Tris out of her thoughts, "What are you thinking about?" Tris swallowed and took a drink before responding, "There are a lot more Factionless than I realized." Will nodded his head in understanding, "Yeah, I thought the same thing when I first got here." The statement took Tris by surprise. "When did you get here," she asked in curiosity interested to know how someone as intelligent as Will had ended up factionless. Will leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest before staring down at the table in front of them. Tris wondered if she had asked a question that was too personal. But before she could say anything, Will began to tell his story; "I've been here two years. I was born in the Amity faction, but when I was in college I transferred to Erudite to study medicine." A warm smile broke across Tris' face. Amity explained his compassionate personality and Erudite explained how he became a doctor. She shook her head let out a quiet laugh when she noted that Will had been able to study medicine at Erudite because of Jeanine's education policy. Her heart swelled in her chest at the thought of her lover and a small hum filled with pride escaped. "Did you always want to be a doctor," Tris asked before Will could ask why she had reacted to his confession that way. Will nodded his head in confirmation, and his voice became warm, "Yeah, I've known since I was very little that I wanted to be a doctor, and that I wanted to help people." Tris smiled, she could hear the sincerity and compassion filling Will's voice. He leaned and rested his elbows on the table as if he was about to tell Tris a very important secret. Tris played along and leaned her head in to hear what Will had to say. "When I was a little boy," Will began, "I used to play doctor on my friends, and any time we found an injured animal in one of the fields I made sure to do my best to nurse it back to health." Tris laughed softly and shook her head at the thought of a younger Will trying desperately to save a field mouse or fallen bird. "I'm sure all the little creatures were very grateful for your efforts," Tris teased with a smile. Will gave her a bright smile and shook his head at the memory.

They sat in silence for a moment before Tris asked, "So what happened after you got your medical degree at Erudite?" Will's face went slack and he stared back down at the table. "I was…" Will trailed off his voice deep and intense. Tris could tell he was choosing his words carefully. "Recruited," He finally said in a clipped tone. Tris swallowed, she realized whatever had happed had not been good and was likely not by choice. Tris shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She knew there was more to the story than what Will was offering, but she didn't want to push him, so far he was her only friend here. "Is that what happened to me," she asked softly. Her eyes scanned Will's face for any reaction, "Was I recruited?" Will pursed his lips together and placed his hand over his mouth as if physically keeping himself from speaking. He cleared his throat and refused to meet Tris' gaze as he began to pick up his empty yogurt and fruit cup. "Something like that," He said quietly as he stood from the table and walked over to the edge of the room where he threw away his trash. Tris released a huff in frustration, she had hoped for more information.

Tris threw away her trash and silently followed Will down another corridor. They walked in companionable silence until they reached an elevator. "Where are we going," Tris asked as she stepped onto the steel and glass elevator. Will punched a number on the panel and the doors closed in front them. "It's time for you to meet Factionless leadership," Will said simply, still not looking at Tris. "Leadership," Tris asked curiously. Will nodded his head, "Yup, it seems you are pretty important to them," Will said and Tris felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. Tris turned to watch the many floors fly by outside of the elevator and her mind began to race. She wondered why she was so important, why these people had kidnapped her, what they wanted from her and more importantly – how she could get home.

Jeanine woke with a jolt; she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly as her vision cleared. She slowly took in her surroundings in confusion before her eyes fell on Caleb's broken form and reality came crashing down on her. The joy that had filled her heart from her dream was replaced by a throbbing pain and she covered her eyes with her hand. She wiped her hand across her face and muffled a yawn before stretching her sore muscles. She rolled her head side to side stretching her sore neck muscles and collapsed back into the chair with a heavy sigh. She looked down at her watch and noticed it was nearly six o'clock. She groaned and leaned forward so her arms rested on the railing of Caleb's hospital bed. She reached out and took his hand in her own. "Good morning Caleb," she offered quietly. She sighed when she received no response. She missed the usually vibrant and talkative Caleb. "I had the strangest dream last night," She started thoughtfully. "I guess it wasn't all that strange. In fact it was a wonderful dream… I just wish it had been real." Jeanine swallowed the lump that started to form in her throat as she thought about the dream she had just had. She looked down at the top of Caleb's hand and brushed it with her thumb. "Your sister and I… We got married in my dream." A bittersweet smile settled on her lips and tears began to sting at her eyes as visions of the dream came back to her. "We had white dresses, and lots of red roses," she did her best to blink away the tears that were threating to fall. "I have thought about marrying Tris before," She whispered in confession. "The dream was so real Caleb… It was as if it actually happened." Jeanine rested her chin on her forearm and tears began to stain her cheeks. "What do you think Caleb? Do you think Tris could put up with me for the rest of her life?" Jeanine smiled and a small laugh escaped as she imagined what Caleb's response would have been if he could respond. She already knew he would approve of their marriage. But she had always planned on asking for his permission simply out of respect for him and their small family. Her smile faded as quickly as it had come. She looked at Caleb's unresponsive form and her heart ached in her chest. "I miss you," she whispered. Caleb and Tris were her family, and she missed them both fiercely. Jeanine's mind drifted away into a happy memory where the three of them had been together, a happy little family.

A knocking sound filled the room and Jeanine jumped up startled from her daydreaming. She breathed a sigh of relief when she turned to see Tobias step into the room carrying two cups of coffee. He sauntered into the room and offered Jeanine a cup of coffee with a warm smile, "Good morning." Jeanine took the coffee gratefully, "Thank you." Tobias nodded and stepped toward the other side of the bed to occupy the same chair he had taken the night before. But Jeanine stopped him before he had the change to sit down. "Tobias, would you mind if we go for a walk," She asked, already sliding her feet into her old sneakers. Tobias shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "No, I don't mind at all." He followed Jeanine out of the hospital room and out into the hallway.

"Is everything alright," Tobias asked when they were walking down the quiet hallway together. Jeanine let out a bitter laugh and shook her head, "No." She took a sip of the hot coffee and humed as she felt it warm her throat. "But... I suppose things are as good as can be expected given the current situation," She continued. Tobias nodded and decided to stay quiet; noting that Jeanine might just need someone to listen for a little bit. They walked in silence until they reached in a small empty waiting room at the end of a hall. Jeanine stepped over to the large glass windows and watched as the sun started to rise over the city's skyline. She stared down at the lid of her coffee up, "I guess I'm just not used to being still in the morning." Tobias looked at Jeanine questioningly, but remained silent beside her. "I'm more of a morning person than Tris," Jeanine explained after a moment to silence passed between them. "I see," Tobias said, compassion in his voice. Jeanine pulled the collar of Tris' shirt up to her nose and inhailed deeppy. The sweet scent of her lover washed over her body and Jeanine felt herself be overcome by memories once again. Her mind took her back through various mornings and to the routine she and Tris had so easily fallen into.

Jeanine was always up with the sun and starting her day while Tris would continue to slumber away quietly. She would always start her day with a quick run. It helped her to clear her mind and figure out all of the things she needed to do throughout the day. Half an hour later she would return to their apartment and take a shower before getting ready for work. Tris usually woke up around the time Jeanine was getting out of the shower. A smile spread across Jeanine's face as she thought about the many times Tris had managed to get her back in bed. Their mornings were usually quiet, save for the occasional news report or music playing in the background. Jeanine thought back to the last time she saw Tris. It had been a morning like so many others, but then everything had gone completely wrong. She took another sip of her coffee and was reminded of the coffee they had shared that morning. Jeanine closed her eyes and wrapped her free arm tightly around her midsection. It had been 24 hours since she had held Tris in her arms, but in her heart it felt more like years. "I miss you Tris," She whispered and leaned in to rest her forehead against the cool glass. Tobias gave Jeanine a moment before gently resting his hand on her shoulder. He hadn't known Jeanine for long, but he understood that she cared for Tris and Caleb the way that he cared for his own family. Unyeilding determination set into his mind and he decided that he would do everything in his power to find Tris and bring her back.

Jeanine turned away from the window and offered Tobias a small smile before steping past him and taking a seat in one of the waiting room chairs. Tobias sat in the seat next to Jeanine's and ran his hand though his thick brown hair. "I have some news," He said quietly. Jeanine's eyes left her lap and flew up to meet Tobias'. "What," She asked the muscles in her back becoming tense and her mind snapping to immediate attention. "Well after you mentioned the factionless yesterday I started doing a little digging," Tobias said and pulled his phone from his pocket. He pulled up a picture and handed his phone to Jeanine. She sat her coffee on the table next to her and looked at the picture displayed on Tobias' phone. "Where did you get this," Jeanine asked noticing the official letterhead at the top the document. Tobias smiled coyly, "Well you're not the only one who knows the Dauntless Leaders assistant on a first name bases. "Lauren," Jeanine said in realization. "Yup," Tobias said nodding his head. "She sent this picture to me while I was on my way here." Jeanine looked back down at the picture of the document and hummed thoughtfully to herself. She raised an eyebrow and looked over at Tobias, "She must be a pretty good friend in order to send you such an important message. She broke a lot of rules sending this to you." Tobias blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck, "Yeah, well, she's a good friend." "Uh huh," Jeanine said knowingly and looked back down at the picture in her hands. She read through the memo diligently;

_From the office of Dauntless Leadership – _

_To whom it may concern, _

_We have received messages from a number of citizens who are concerned about the growing number of Factionless. We want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of all people and factions. Peace is often hard-won, and sometimes it is necessary to fight for peace._

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As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! :) Also, don't forget to fav/follow if you want to get updates when I post a new chapter. Thanks - Ashlynn

Spelisa- As always thank you for your continued support!

AwesomeNevada, Chisanaki and Mery - Thank you for your wonderful comments on chapter six! You made my day! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for your awesome reviews! You all are the best! You make me smile! :)

Chapter 8 has arrived! I have been working on a video to go along with/be a trailer for this fic and I am really excited about it! :) Introducing the main antagonist here, and as always I hope you enjoy this chapter :) - Ashlynn

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_From the office of Dauntless Leadership – _

_To whom it may concern, _

_We have received messages from a number of citizens who are concerned about the growing number of Factionless. We want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of all people and factions. Peace is often hard-won, and sometimes it is necessary to fight for peace._

Jeanine hummed thoughtfully to herself as she read the note on Tobias' phone again. She handed it back to him and clasped her hands together, "Sounds like a violent threat wrapped up in a peaceful promise to me." Tobias put his phone back in his pocket, "Yeah, that's what I thought too." Jeanine turned so she was facing Tobias. "Do me a favor," she asked her mind whirring with thoughts. "Sure," Tobias said wondering what she had in mind. "Don't tell anyone about this yet," Jeanine requested simply. Tobias knit his eyebrows together in wonder but shrugged his shoulders deciding not to question the Erudite leader, "Okay." Jeanine took notice of Tobias' confusion and clued him in, "I want to wait and see what Sargent Wu finds before we do anything to drastic." Tobias nodded his head in understanding, "Okay, not a problem."

Jeanine stood from the chair and crossed her arms over her chest as she started to pace around the small waiting area. Tobias watched her face closely from the other side of the room. He could tell her mind was reeling, attempting to connect all the dots and find the logic in it all. His heart went out to Jeanine as he watched her struggle with the situation. It seemed obvious to him that she was a good person and that she loved both Caleb and Tris very dearly. As a detective, Tobias couldn't help but wonder what the motive was. Why would someone want to hurt Jeanine, and why would that person go to such great lengths to ensure her pain by hurting her family ?

The room feel silent for a while, save for Jeanine's footsteps, when suddenly an idea occurred to her and Jeanine snapped her fingers with a gasp. She quickly moved across the room and stopped when she was standing in front of Tobias. "What do you know about the factionless," She questioned, looking for information to support her theory. Tobias sat in silence for a moment, as he brought himself back to the conversation at hand. He looked up to see Jeanine with a hand planted on her hip and a fire burning in her eyes. She looked very much lIke the strong faction leader he had seen before on TV, even despite her jears and tshirt. It was in that moment that Tobias realized; this was why people might want to hurt her – Jeanine was powerful. He scratched the back of his head while he contemplated the answer to Jeanine's question. "Uh, well... They're outcasts, they don't fit into any of the factions…" He trailed off. "Right," Jeanine said, her voice resonating through the room and a triumphant smile threatening to cross her lips. Tobias scratched his head and wondered what Jeanine was getting at. "Don't you get it Tobias," she asked, her voice ringing with confidence. Tobias decided to just stay quiet and let Jeanine explain her theory. The blonde let out a small huff of air and started speaking animatedly, "Okay, let's pretend you're Factionless. You live outside of the faction system. You have very little in the way of food, clothing, and education. Eventually you join with a larger group of Factionless people and you create a unit." Tobias leaned forward as understanding began to sink in.

"I bet, if we look back into the Dauntless records, we will find lots of their supplies have gone missing," Jeanine said, her mind reeling. "You think Dauntless is helping the Factionless," Tobias asked, catching onto Jeanine's train of thought. "Yes, why not," She asked rhetorically. "Look, if Dauntless help the Factionless it can create loyalty. If they provide; food, shelter and other supplies, they are going to gain the trust appreciation of the Factionless people. Those people could potentially provide Dauntless with added numbers which is what they need if they want to try to overthrow the faction system again…. The problem is going to be that, if we do find they have been helping the Factionless, they could argue it is out of charity and not for an alternate vendetta." Jeanine chewed at her bottom lip, "We have to figure out what is going on outside of the factions, and what Dauntless is up to."

Tris watched as Will fidgeted nervously while the elevator carried them to the top floor of the Factionless building. "You gonna be okay," she asked just before the elevator came to a stop. The elevator dinged and Will snapped to attention. "Yeah, come on," He offered Tris a small smile as he stepped out of the elevator. Tris didn't miss the trepidation that filled Will's voice and her stomach began to churn uncomfortably. She followed Will out of the elevator and into a large glass room full of people sitting at desks and tables all engrossed in their work. A small smile tugged at the corner of Tris' mouth, the room slightly reminded her of the offices back at Erudite. As they walked across the long room, Tris noticed that all of the equipment looked similar to what she had seen during her time at Dauntless. She hummed to herself in thought, but before she could look any further into it she found herself standing in a small lobby area.

"Good afternoon Molly," Will offered as he approached the receptionist. "Will," the girl exclaimed excitedly, "It's so nice to see you!" Tris shoved her hands into her back pockets and stood awkwardly as the two exchanged pleasantries. "Is she in," Will asked, tilting his head toward a solid wooden door just behind the receptionists' desk. "Yes, and she is expecting you," Molly replied with a smile still on her face. "Both of you," She said giving Tris a wink. "You can go on in," She offered motioning to the door, her eyes returning to Will. "Thanks Molly," He flashed a smile then turned on his heels to face Tris, "Are you ready?" Tris wondered for a moment if he was actually asking her or himself. She nodded her head in confirmation, but her stomach twisted into an even tighter knot, and a lump started to form in her throat. Will stepped over to the door and Tris watched as he took a deep breath before lifting his fist and knocking it against the solid wood. "Come in," Came the response from inside the office.

"Ms. Johnson, its pleasure to see you again," Will said cheerfully as he stepped into the Factionless leader's office. Tris followed closely behind Will and her eyes instantly fell on the woman seated behind a large solid black desk. "Will," the woman offered in greeting, her voice low as if almost scolding. She stood from her chair and made her way around the desk, "How many times must I tell you, call me Evelyn please." As shook hands and exchanged pleasantries Tris took in the appearance of the Factionless leader. She was an attractive woman; she wore a long sleeve dark red shirt with black pants. Her curly auburn hair fell over her shoulders and she held herself with confidence. Will turned and gestured to Tris, "Ms.-" Will was shot a stern warning look and he cleared his throat before starting again. "Evelyn, I want to introduce you to Tris Prior."

Tris felt the woman's dark eyes roaming over her body until their eyes locked in an instant challenge. "Ms. Prior, it is a pleasure to meet you," the Factionless leader said sounding all too delighted for Tris' comfort. She offered her hand and Tris pulled her hand out of her pocket to shake the woman's hand. Tris noticed the fire that burned in the woman's dark eyes while they said hello, "The pleasure is all mine," she countered. A small smile started to pull at the woman's lips. "Well, I'm sure you have lots of questions," she said releasing Tris' hand and turning to walk to a small sitting area located in the corner of the office. Tris swallowed hard as she and Will followed Evelyn. Her mind whirred with thoughts until it suddenly stopped and she envisioned a picture of Jeanine. Tris bit at her lower lip to keep from smiling. Even though she hadn't paid much attention at the time, Tris was grateful Jeanine had taught her a few things about politics in the last couple of years. She felt her confidence begin to return and she held her head high as she and Will took their seats opposite Evelyn.

"Will tells me that you were in less than optimal shape when you arrived here. I trust that you are feeling better now," Evelyn said as she took a seat and crossed her legs. "Yes," Tris said lacing her fingers together in her lap. "Will's a great doctor," she added and looked over at Will who smiled brightly back at her. Evelyn hummed in agreement, "I also hear you are quite the dreamer." The muscles in Tris' back stiffened at the mention of her dream, but she managed to keep her voice cool and calm, "Guess so." Evelyn hummed thoughtfully to herself again. "Why am I here," Tris asked, finally voicing the question she had been wanting an answer to for the past 18+ hours. "Will would you excuse us for a moment," Evelyn asked not actually waiting for a response. "Yes ma'am," Will said standing quickly. He rested a hand on Tris' shoulder, "I'll be just outside if you need me." Tris gave him a small smile and nodded in appreciation. He gave her shoulder a tight squeeze before disappearing out into the lobby, leaving the two women to talk.

Evelyn stood from her chair and made her way over to a small cart that sat against one of the large glass windows in the room. Tris watched silently as Evelyn poured herself a drink. Tris shook her head slightly, it was before noon and the woman was already drinking. "Care for a drink Ms. Prior," Evelyn asked still holding the canister in her hand and turning back to Tris. "No, thank you," Tris said biting back a sarcastic remark... Evelyn placed the canister back on the cart with a thud before returning to the chair she previously occupied. "Why am I here," Tris asked again after a moment of silence had passed between them. Evelyn looked up from the glass she held in her hand to meet Tris' gaze, "I don't always drink before noon." Tris looked at the woman her impatience growing. "Fantastic," She deadpanned, "Now, mind telling me why I am here?"

Evelyn downed what was left in her glass tumbler and sat it down forcefully on the table between them. Tris' head snapped back instinctively at the loud sound, but her eyes never left the other woman's. "You are an impatient one aren't you," Evelyn asked with a sigh leaning back in her chair. "You're here because you're the key to my plan Tris," She said simply. Tris furrowed her eyebrows, "You're plan?" "Yes, that is what I said. This won't take nearly as long if you can keep up," The Factionless leader snipped. Tris pursed her lips together trying to hold her tongue; she needed to get as much information out of this woman as possible. "You see Tris, there are more Factionless than you know. In fact, there are twice as many Factionless than Dauntless and Erudite combined." Tris swallowed hard - Evelyn was speaking as if it was just simple facts, but she could hear the threat underlying each word. "We are becoming a society all our own," she continued. Tris crossed her arms across her chest feigning quiet contemplation and trying to hide her nerves.

"We're not all that different you and I," Evelyn said, her eyes never leaving Tris. "Neither of us fit into the faction system, and both of us are outcasts," She said her voice trailing off. Tris looked down at her boots, and chewed at the inside of her mouth. It was true, as a Divergent, she was still somewhat considered an outcast. Jeanine had made several changes in the Erudite faction after the Divergents helped to defeat the Dauntless army. She and Tris had worked closely together to pass a new law that allowed Divergents to join the factions. Although all of the factions had enacted the law, and it had passed three years ago, there were still times when Tris still felt like an outsider. She knew Jeanine did her best to shield her from the negative responses when the law passed, but Tris also knew they existed. She had experienced her share of people who believed that Divergents were a threat to the faction system and that they should be removed - just like the Factionless.

"So you want the Factionless people to have a place among the other factions," Tris asked trying to put the pieces together. Evelyn nodded her head, "In a way…Yes." Tris looked expectantly at the woman waiting for more information. "I think it's time that the Factionless people have a place in society as well," Evelyn explained. Tris leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, "So let me get this straight - you want the other factions to recognize the Factionless people as a whole, as a society in and of itself, equal to that of Erudite, Dauntless, Amity, Abnegation and Candor?"

Evelyn leaned forward so she mirrored Tris' position. "Exactly, I want the Factionless people to be seen as a part of society, and not just as a bunch of outcasts. I want them to be seen as a cohesive group of individuals each with their own talents and skills, all useful to society." Tris drew a deep breath before leaning back against the couch."Wow," She breathed staring straight ahead and then looking back at Evelyn. "You realize that you would be turning the entire faction system around if if thay worked right," Tris asked as the concept really started to sink in. Evelyn cleared her throat and leaned back into her chair, propping her chin against her fist, "Yes, I know." The room fell into silence for a moment as they both thought about what it would be like if the plan actually worked.

"You still haven't answered my question though," Tris reminded the Factionless leader. Evelyn stared at Tris for a moment. "Patience," She said as she stood and walked over to her desk where she began shuffling through some papers. "I understand you work as a bio-medical engineer back at Erudite," Evelyn said picking up a file and opening it. Tris wondered what that had to do with anything. "That's true, I do," She replied curtly. Evelyn hummed in thought before walking back to the sitting area and returning to her chair. "It also says here that you have been working on an anti-hallucinogen project that would work for everyone. That it would prevent people from being influenced by hallucinogenic drugs, just like Divergents. It looks like you are getting pretty close to figuring it out too." Tris was taken aback, "How did you," She started to ask looking at the woman dumbfounded with surprise. The testing was still underway, and the experiments were to be completely off the gird. She sat in bewilderment as to how the Factionless leader, of all people, was able to find out what she had been working on. "Never mind how," Evelyn dismissed her question with a wave of her hand."The deal is, now that you're here, I need you to put what you have learned to use," She continued not looking up from the file. Tris blinked rapidly and brought herself back to the conversation at hand. "You want me to create an anti-hallucinogen serum here," She asked in confusion. Evelyn shook her head and looked up from the file to meet Tris' confused expression, "No.. Well, not exactly." Tris continued to stare at the woman as her frustration grew. "What does that mean," Tris asked, her nerves starting to chip away at her resolve.

"I need you to create a hallucinogen," Evelyn said simply closing the file and letting it fall onto the table next to her empty glass. "Okay," Tris drawled out the word wondering what Evelyn was getting at. "I need you to create a hallucinogen that will work on everyone as well as Divergents. I can't have another screw up like Dauntless did three years ago," Evelyn said her voice becoming brash. Tris couldn't believe what she was hearing, "You want me to create a hallucinogen that will work on everyone, including Divergents?" "That's the plan," Evelyn nodding as if it was a simple task. Tris was quiet for a moment while she thought about what Evelyn was asking her to do, "I don't even know if that is possible… I mean… I was working on an anti-hallucinogen that would help people not be influenced by drugs. But now you're asking me to create the complete opposite AND make it effective on Divergents as well." Evelyn's voice was smooth but laced with sarcasm, "It shouldn't be too hard for a smart girl like you now should it? Besides, you can be your own test subject," Tris wiped her hand over her face in thought, "Why do you want me to make the serum?" Evelyn shifted in her chair and stared at the empty glass sitting in front of her, "I have to be prepared if there is some… Resistance… To the new Factionless movement," She said. Tris felt her stomach knot up again and her mouth went dry when she realized the implication of Evelyn's words. "You're asking me… To build a weapon… So you can perform mass genocide." Evelyn shook her head, "No, no, no, don't think of it that way. It is just a precaution in case things get out of hand." Tris uncrossed her arms and moved forward so she was sitting on the edge of the couch. "You mean if things don't go your way," She challenged, anger rising in her chest. "Look, I promise not to use it unless it is absolutely necessary," Evelyn said raising her right hand as if swearing an oath. Tris released a bark of a laugh and stood, "Ha! You're crazy if you think I am going to help you!" "Am I now," Evelyn asked leaning back in her chair and lacing her fingers together in her lap. "Yes," Tris spat, "You're crazy if you think that I am going to help you freaking build a weapon for mass genocide."

Evelyn released a disappointed hum, "Well that's really too bad... You know Tris; I had hoped we would be able to come to an understanding before it came to this." Evelyn stood so she was standing nearly toe to toe with Tris. "Let me make one thing crystal clear to you Tris Prior," Evelyn's voice was low and menacing. "If you don't help me with this, you will never be with your precious little family again." Tris started to berate the woman for threatening her, but she was cut off. "And I won't just take you from them. I will make them suffer. I will make every single day of their lives a living hell and it will all be on your shoulders. And who knows? Maybe you will get a front row seat to the whole show… You would be wise not to underestimate me Ms. Prior. I am much more powerful than you think… So I'm going to be generous and give you some time to reconsider my offer. Just do me a favor - think about your brother Caleb, and your beloved Jeanine for me."

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Dun Dun Dun... ;) Please let me know what you think! - Ashlynn


	9. Chapter 9

You all are awesome! I love that you are so excited about this story! Special thanks to Spelisa, Unimercess, and everyone who reviewed chapter 8! As promised, you can find the first part of the vid I made for this fic on YouTube. Just search "Trinine Ashlynn Murray" and it should come up! :)

This chapter was kind of a bear for me. I wrote it, rewrote it, then deleted it and wrote it all again. Lol Hope you enjoy it! :) – Ashlynn

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_"…So I'm going to be generous and give you some time to reconsider my offer. Just do me a favor - think about your brother Caleb, and your beloved Jeanine for me." _

Tris swallowed hard as she met the woman's menacing glare with her own. Evelyn let out a short laugh and spun on her heels leaving Tris silent and seething. So much for time to think this over Tris thought while she watched Evelyn stroll over to her desk. She did her best to ignore the pain in her hands from her clenched fists. "How dare you," Tris growled and stalked toward Evelyn who was now standing behind her desk. Dark eyes met Tris' fiery ones and a small smirk crossed Evelyn's face. "How dare you threaten my family," Tris shouted doing her very best to keep from launching herself at the Factionless leader. Evelyn let out a cackle and Tris began to seethe in her anger. "Do you appreciate irony Ms. Prior," Evelyn asked her voice smooth and calm. "What," Tris spat. "Irony," Evelyn said and sat in her desk chair before continuing, "Do you appreciate it?" Tris closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep her self-control; this woman was literally driving her mad.

Evelyn sighed audibly, and crossed her arms over her chest, "It's ironic that the thing you love most is the exact same thing that makes you weak." Tris rolled her eyes, "Love doesn't make you weak," She argued. Evelyn raised eyebrows, "Oh really," She challenged. "Take a look around Tris. You can't leave here. You are going to do what I have asked you to do because I've threated the people in your life you love most." Tris drew in a deep breath and shoved her fists into her jacket pockets in frustration. As much as she wanted to punch this woman in the face; she knew she couldn't risk something happening to Caleb or Jeanine. She bit down on her tongue and watched as Evelyn's face slowly fell from a challenging front to a more somber expression. "I learned a long time ago that sometimes, in order to save the thing you love the most, you must sacrifice your hold on it," The older woman said quietly as she stared down at her folded hands. Tris furrowed her brow and curiosity began to seep through her anger. But before she could ask what Evelyn had meant, the woman was once again standing in front of her the crack in her façade no longer visible. "Molly, please send Will in," She said pressing the intercom button. The two women shared a quick glance across the desk, and Tris began to wonder if there was more to this woman's story than just being a power hungry leader.

"Well did you two ladies solve the world's problems," Will asked stepping into the room with a friendly smile on his face. Tris let out a bark of a laugh and felt Evelyn's eyes bore into her. "Well we have not solved them yet, but I think we have a good plan. Wouldn't you say so Tris," Evelyn asked her voice smooth. Tris hummed her agreement and just nodded her head. "Will, would you be so kind to show Ms. Prior our laboratories? She has graciously agreed to share her knowledge with us," Evelyn requested while smiling at Will who was now standing next to Tris. "I'd be delighted to," Will replied with a nod of his head. Tris swallowed the lump in her throat. Unlike Will, she had not missed the double meaning in Evelyn's request. "Wonderful," Evelyn said cheerfully, "Now if you will both excuse me, I do need to get back to work, lots to do today." "Of course," Will said answering for both he and Tris. "It was a pleasure as always Mrs. John-," Will stammered, "I mean Evelyn," He corrected himself quickly. The Factionless leader smiled warmly and shook Will's outstretched hand, "Always a pleasure for me as well Will, thank you." With that, Tris followed Will out of Evelyn's office, through the work space and back to the elevator.

"How'd it go," Will asked as soon as the elevator doors closed. Tris ran her hand through her hair and let out a heavy sigh, "Not so great." Will turned so he was facing Tris, "Did she threaten you?" Tris looked over at Will and noticed the concern that covered his face. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest, "Yeah, but not directly… It's kind of hard to explain…" Tris started to explain what had transpired, but Will interjected before she had the chance. "I understand - she did the same thing to me." Tris turned to look at Will in curiosity, "What?" The young doctor shifted and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, she did the same thing to me," He said again. Tris continued to look at him not satisfied with the simple answer. Will realized Tris was not going to let the topic die so he decided to elaborate, "You see, my name is actually William Reyes." Tris' mind raced and she furrowed her brow. She knew that name from somewhere; she studied Will's face carefully. Suddenly realization hit her, her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open in shock as she stared at Will.

"You," She stammered and pointed at Will, "You're…" Will nodded his head and a sly smile spread across his face as he watched Tris put the pieces together in her head. "Holy shit," Tris said her voice barely above a whisper. Will laughed out loud at the look of surprise on Tris' face. "You're the son of Johanna Reyes, the leader of the Amity faction," She said having put the pieces all together. "Yup," Will said shrugging his shoulders. "The one and only," He added with a coy smile. The elevator stopped and the doors opened to an unfamiliar hallway. Will stepped out of the elevator and quickly turned when he noticed Tris was not following him. He smiled brightly when he noticed the still surprised look on her face. "Tris," He called pulling her from her thoughts. Tris blinked rapidly and shook her head brining herself back to reality from the race her thoughts had been running. She stepped off of the elevator and caught up with Will. "Why are you in Factionless," She asked her voice full of surprise and wonder. Will's smile faded and he waved his hand, "Let's talk about that later. I want to show you the laboratories we have."

Tris reluctantly decided to let it go for the time being and followed Will into a large laboratory. Once again she was surprised by the size and the amount of equipment the Factionless compound had. She walked through the room mentally noting the various equipment and work stations that had been set up. "Everything here is for your use," Will informed her while standing in the doorway. "Seems to me that Factionless is well supplied," Tris said leaning down to inspect what looked like almost new machinery. "It's almost identical to my lab back at Erudite," She continued thoughtfully. Will cleared his throat, "Yes, well, I've found that sometimes it is best to not ask too many questions about where things come from." Tris hummed to herself thoughtfully and then stood and moved to middle of the room. She sighed deeply as she looked around the room, "I suppose this will be my prison for the unforeseen future." Will stood in silent understanding until Tris finally looked back at him. "Ready to move on," He asked. Tris met him at the doorway, "Yes," She said releasing a heavy sigh. Her mind was spinning with everything that had just happened. "Will, would you mind if we postponed the rest of the tour until tomorrow? I would really like some quite time to myself, and a shower if possible," She said gesturing to her dirty clothes. Will smiled, "Of course Tris, I'll show you to your new housing." He reached over and gave Tris' a friendly pat on the shoulder as they walked down the hallway. Tris was pulled from her thoughts, "New housing huh? You mean I don't have to sleep in the medical examination room anymore," Tris asked with excitement. Will laughed warmly as they stepped onto the elevator, "No, you have your own room now." Tris smiled and released a sigh of relief that she would not have to spend another night on the uncomfortable examination table.

The elevator stopped at the housing floor and Tris stared down at her boots as she followed Will down a narrow carpeted hallway. Her mind had started to wander again, and all of the questions she had started to engulf her thoughts. "Oof," Will grunted when Tris ran into him without warning. "Oh, sorry Will," She said looking up to realize what had happened. "No big deal," He shrugged and gestured to the door they had stopped in front of. "This is your room," He said with a small smile. Tris breathed a small sigh of relief, "Ah, okay." Will glanced over his shoulder, "Well, I'm just down the hall in 112 if you need me." Tris nodded her head in understanding, "Sounds good." Will looked at the watch on his wrist, "How about dinner in an hour or so? Maybe I could introduce you to a few people?" Tris rubbed at the tension that had gathered in her shoulders, "Uh, yeah, that sounds fine." Will flashed a small smile and started to back away, "See you in an hour." Tris turned back to the door in front of her, and noticed the white lettering that had been painted on the grey door it read '108.' She rolled her shoulders and stepped into the room.

Tris flipped on the light switch and looked around the small room. It had a twin bed, a night stand, and a small dresser in far corner. She turned to close the door softly behind her noticing there was only a sliding lock rather than a deadbolt. She turned back around to explore the room and soon found the small bathroom. A thankful sigh escaped her lips when the shower poured out steaming hot water. Tris grumbled to herself while she removed her boots and clothes. Her mind was swimming with everything that had happened. She desperately needed a moment to step back and take it all in. Relief instantly washed through her body as the hot water cleared away the dried blood, sweat and tears that had built up over the past 20+ hours. Tris leaned her head forward against the shower wall under the faucet and let the water fall against her tense neck and shoulders. She closed her eyes and let herself be carried away from the stress of the day. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as a happy memory came to the forefront of her mind. It was a memory of a hot summer day when she had surprised Jeanine with a surprise water balloon fight. She couldn't help but laugh as she recalled the way Jeanine had been so reluctant to give into the game at first. But after the third or fourth water balloon Tris had thrown her way, the young politician was pencil skirt deep with her in the childish game.

Tris rolled her head back and forth against the shower wall until pushing off of it and letting the water wash over her face. She ran her hands through her hair and turned so she could rinse it clean. When she had finished she crossed her arms over her midsection holding herself tightly. Unfortunately she could not keep the reality of the situation from interrupting her happy memory. Her mind was again filled with everything Evelyn had said to her; how she wanted the Factionless to be equal to all of the other faction members and how she wanted Tris to create a hallucinogen. Tris' mind flashed back to the car accident the previous night and she thought of her brother Caleb. She closed her eyes and bit at her lower lip, he had been so still, so quiet. Tris pressed her back against the shower wall and slid down it until she was sitting on the cold tile floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs pulling them even closer. Her head fell forward to rest against her knees as the pressure of the situation began to overwhelm her and tears spilled over from her tired eyes. "I just want to go home," She whispered through her tears. Tris knew she sounded childish but she didn't care, because it was true. She wanted to go home; to Jeanine, to Caleb, to her friends and her job. She wanted everything to go away and return to the way it was.

Tris sat in a worried and contemplative silence as the hot water beat down against her body. She thought about Evelyn's threat against Jeanine and Caleb and she growled audibly. A thought struck her then, if Evelyn threated Caleb, maybe he was still alive. Her heart ached in her chest but she clung to that small piece of hope that he was okay. She felt her anger at everything that had happened. She balled her hands into fists and felt a renewed source of energy. "Okay, come on Tris, get yourself together," She coached herself. She stood from the shower floor and leaned her head from side to side stretching her neck muscles. Tris shut off the shower and grabbed a towel before stepping out of the shower and standing in front of the vanity. She reached up and wiped the fog from the mirror. Then made a mental note to thank Caleb for taking care of her as she inspected what was left of the small cut on her temple. She rummaged around in a small drawer until she found personal hygiene supplies.

Tris cleaned herself up and dried her hair before stepping back into the main room. She dropped her dirty clothes on the foot of the bed and went to the small dresser in the corner of the room where she found a pair of cargo pants and a lightweight red t-shirt. She shook her head when she noticed it was the same uniform she had worn when she lived in the Dauntless faction. As she slipped the clothes she wondered if they had been stolen or if Dauntless had provided them. She reached down and grabbed her black leather jacket from the bed. She held it out in front of her and a small smile crept across her lips. It had been a birthday gift from Jeanine two years ago and Tris had hardly gone anywhere without it. She put it on and wrapped it tightly around her closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I miss you," She whispered into the collar of the jacket as she thought about Jeanine. A knock at the door quickly pulled Tris from her thoughts and she stiffened. She set her jaw with a her new found determination – she had to figure out what was really going on here at the Factionless compound, what Evelyn's true vendetta was, and find a way to get back home to Caleb and Jeanine.

_Jeanine tapped her foot against the floor, "We have to figure out what is going on outside of the factions, and what Dauntless is up to."_

Tobias nodded his head and stood from the chair he had been occupying for the whole conversation. "Okay, what do you need from me," He asked. "I need you to-" Jeanine was cut off by her phone ringing in her back pocket. She recognized the name on the phone and quickly excused herself to take the call. "Christine," Jeanine asked answering the phone. "Jeanine, I just saw the news, is…" Christine's voice trailed off. "They're both alive," Jeanine said reassuring both her friend and herself. She walked to the corner of the room and leaned against the wall. Christine sighed in relief on the other end of the phone, "That's great news. What happened?" Jeanine drew in a deep breath, acknowledging everything that had happened was hard enough without having to retell it over and over. "Tris and Caleb were in an accident. Caleb is in the ICU here at Hope Medical Center, with severe trauma. And Tris is…" Jeanine felt her throat tighten and she swallowed hard, "Missing." A gasp came from the other end of the phone line and Jeanine heard a crash, "Christine? Are you okay?" The line was silent for a moment, "Who… How… Why…" Christine asked her voice becoming erratic.

Jeanine closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples. She turned so her back was against the wall and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and covered her eyes with her hand. "We're not sure yet," She sighed heavily. Christine could tell Jeanine was about to cry so she decided to let it go for the moment, "How's Caleb?" Jeanine cleared her throat and did her best to blink away the tears that were threatening to spill over. "He is…" Jeanine blew a deep breath out through her lips to try to calm her nerves. "He's okay; the doctors say he is stable. But he has had a severe concussion and they are worried about the swelling and possible fluid buildup." Christine hummed thoughtfully, "Have they done an MRI or a CT yet?" Jeanine tried to recall all of the information the doctors had told her but was coming up short. "To be honest Christine, I don't even know," She let her head rest back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. Her heart felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in her chest, and she became irritated with herself for not paying more attention to what the doctor had said.

"Hey," Christine consoled, "Its okay, you have a lot on your plate." Jeanine remained silent and pursed her lips together as her frustration grew – she hated that there was nothing she could do. "Tell you what," Christine said, and Jeanine knew her friend had an idea. "Why don't I come and stay with Caleb, that way you can focus on finding Tris." Jeanine exhaled deeply and her shoulders felt a little lighter. "You don't have to do that Christine," She argued. "Nope, but I'm going to," Christine replied finality ringing in her voice. "I will be there in two hours," Christine said reassuringly. "Thank you," Jeanine replied and a small smile crept across her lips; she was thankful to have such a good friend. They ended the call and Jeanine closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind.

She took several deep breaths before she heard heavy footsteps come to a stop in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Tobias. He looked at her disheveled appearance and Jeanine could see the concern in his eyes. He offered her his hand to help her up off of the floor and she took it great fully. "You okay," He asked once Jeanine was standing. "Yes, let's go back to Caleb's room. We need to make some phone calls," she brushed off her jeans and stood up straight before walking confidently out of the waiting room. Tobias stared in wonder at Jeanine as she left. One moment she was on the floor crying, and the next she was back to the picture-perfect Erudite faction leader that she was. He shook his head and sighed heavily before following after her.

When they arrived back at Caleb's room they found it was full of nurses and doctors. Jeanine's heart instantly sank in her chest. "What's going on," She asked grabbing one of the nurses by the shoulder. "Caleb has hydrocephalus," The nurse said turning to face Jeanine. Jeanine shook her head, "He has what," She demanded her voice growing in volume. "Ms. Matthews," A deep voice called from the other side of the room and Jeanine noticed Dr. Richardson approaching. "What's wrong with Caleb," Jeanine asked again panic rising in her chest. Dr. Richardson kept his voice calm while he explained everything to Jeanine, "Caleb has too much fluid around his brain so we are going to perform surgery. We will insert a shunt to remove the excess fluid around Caleb's brain and then the swelling should go back down." Jeanine put her hand over her mouth to keep from vomiting and small black spots began to invade her vision. She suddenly felt dizzy and she blinked rapidly to try to keep from passing out. "Ms. Matthews," Dr. Richardson asked noticing that she was starting to sway back and forth. "Ms. Matthews," He asked again, but still did not receive an answer. "Nurse, nurse," He called and put both of his hands on Jeanine's arms to help steady her. A nurse came to his side and he ordered her to bring a chair over so Jeanine could sit down. The nurse did as requested and before long Jeanine was seated and Dr. Richardson was kneeling before her checking her pulse and her pupil dilation. Jeanine's mind seemed to drift back and forth between conscious and unconscious as the world around her spun and her shock set in.

"Jeanine, Jeanine, Jeanine," Jeanine could hear someone calling her name but it sounded hollow and distant. "Jeanine, come on, wake up," The voice said again. She tried to lift her head but it was spinning too fast and a wave of nausea crashed into her. "Jeanine come on, you have to wake up," The voice said again and she felt something rub against her arm. "That's it, time to wake up," Jeanine started to hear the voice more clearly. She tried to lift her head again, and this time she was successful. Slowly she opened her eyes and the blurry scene in front of her slowly came into focus. "Tobias," She said, her voice much quieter than she had expected. "Yeah I'm here Jeanine, come on, you've got to wake up now," His voice was warm and kind but still held a sense of urgency. Jeanine blinked her eyes rapidly and gasped when everything came back to her at once. "Caleb," She asked noticing the nurses still gathered on the other side of the room. "They are prepping him for surgery now," Tobias said his hand never leaving Jeanine's forearm. Jeanine took a deep breath and the tension in her neck and shoulders grew.

"Is he going to be okay," Jeanine asked. Tobias patted her forearm. "Dr. Richardson said that this is a standard procedure and that he does not expect any complications. Jeanine's stomach churned and she shifted uncomfortably. "How long," She asked trying to keep the contents of her stomach down. "The surgery is expected to last a couple hours," Tobias informed her doing his best to calm the frightened woman. Jeanine nodded her head and took a deep breath. "Ms. Matthews," Came a familiar voice. Jeanine looked up to see Dr. Richardson approaching her again. "How are you feeling," He asked as he took in her dishelved appearance. "I'm fine," Jeanine said not wanting to distract the doctor from Caleb's treatment. "Okay, well I am going to have a nurse stay with you for a while. At least until you are feeling up to par," He said and looked down at the chart he was carrying. Jeanine decided to stay silenent and wait for the doctor to tell her what was going on. "We are about to take Caleb back for surgery, it should only take two or three hours at the most," The older doctor explained. Jeanine nodded her head in understanding, "Are there a lot of risks involved in this surgery?"

Dr. Richardson signed something on the chart he was carrying and handed it off to a nurse before responding. "There are risks similar to all surgeries. But thankfully Caleb is a healthy young man and I do not expect there will be any complications," Dr. Richardson reassured Jeanine. "Okay, can I see him," Jeanine asked noticing that the nurses were about to move Caleb's bed. "Of course," Dr. Richardson nodded in confirmation. Tobias helped Jeanine slowly stand to her feet. She found that her muscles were limp and her head started to spin again. A lump formed in her throat but she swallowed hard and pushed on. Tears stung her eyes when she was finally standing next to Caleb's hospital bed. She reached up and brushed back his messy hair. "Come back Caleb, come back to Tris and I, we need you," Jeanine whispered her voice raspy with unshed tears. She leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to his forehead and felt Tobias' hand on her shoulder. The tears now flowed freely down her cheeks as she watched the surgical team wheel Caleb from the hospital room. Jeanine stood stoic and did her best to keep herself together. She needed to be strong now, for Caleb and for Tris.

* * *

Plot twist! Hahaha! Did any of you suspect Will would be a faction leader's son? Evelyn seems to be collecting those people closest to the faction leaders… Anyone smell blackmail? :) I'm sure you have some questions about Evelyn's character. But, don't worry, it will all make sense soon enough!

Smut is coming! ;) Please check out the vid I made on YouTube :)

You're reviews mean a lot to me! I love reading how you feel about the characters and the direction of the story please keep them coming! :)


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Hey there! The semester is over so updates should be happening on a more regular basis!

There are lots of things in the next three chapters that had not originally been planned. But as I wrote, ideas just kept coming and I decided to write them all in. I want to push these women to their breaking point, and then I want to push them even further. That being said, I do still have that happy ending in mind, and yes, everything will come full circle with time! Enjoy! – Ashlynn :)

P.S. I feel like the song Human by Christina Perri really fits this chapter.

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_The tears now flowed freely down her cheeks as she watched the surgical team wheel Caleb from the hospital room. Jeanine stood stoic and did her best to keep herself together. She needed to be strong now, for Caleb and for Tris._

Jeanine blew out a breath with a shudder, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection. She felt a warm hand on her and turned to see Tobias standing next to her. She said a silent thank you to the young man at her side. They held each other's gazes for a moment, both knowing that everything was unsure. Tobias cleared his throat, "Would you like to go down to the waiting room?" Jeanine nodded in agreement and stepped past Tobias to pick her phone up off the floor from when she had passed out.

They sat in silence when they reached the empty waiting room. Jeanine pulled herself from her cycle of worry for a moment and looked up from the floor to see Tobias sitting next to her. "Thank you," She said remembering that Tobias had helped her when she had passed out. "Hmmm," Tobias was pulled from his thoughts. "Thank you for your help," Jeanine clarified. Tobias shrugged, "No problem." Jeannie offered him a tight smile, "You seem pretty good with this whole thing. I mean, it seems you're handling it well." Tobias nodded his head, "Yeah… I've seen worse…" He drifted off into silence for a moment and Jeanine wondered if he suffered from a mild form of PTSD like Tris did.

Tobias cleared his throat and crossed his hands over his chest thoughtfully. "I work better when I am under pressure," He said staring down at his boots. Jeanine hummed in acknowledgement and searched the young man's face. "That explains why you have succeeded so well in Dauntless," She supplied. "Yes ma'am I suppose so," Tobias answered still not meeting Jeanine's gaze. Jeanine leaned forward and stretched her back, every muscle in her body was sore with stress and exhaustion.

_One Hour Later_

"Jeanine," A familiar voice rang out through the waiting room. Jeanine looked up to see her friend Christine quickly approaching. She stood from the waiting room chair and was instantly wrapped in a warm supportive hug. She embraced her friend and her shoulders slumped as she felt an invisible weight lifted from her shoulders. "I'm so glad you're here," She whispered against her friend's shoulder. Christine gave her a tight squeeze. "Of course," She whispered and two women parted from their hug.

Jeanine stepped back with a sigh of relief and blinked away the tears that had started to form. It was wonderful to see a familiar face and someone she knew she could trust.

"So what happened," Christine asked sitting down next to Jeanine and looking around the waiting room. Jeanine explained what had happened; that the fluid around Caleb's brain was not receding so they had to remove some of it or risk permanent brain damage. Christine shook her head at the news and held her friend's hand in her own. "He'll pull through," Christine said confidently. Jeanine gave her friend a hopeful smile and noticed Christine's line of sight wander past her.

"Oh," Jeanine exclaimed realizing that she had failed to introduce the people sitting on either side of her. "Christine, this is Dauntless detective Tobias Eaton," She introduced. "Tobias, this is my dear friend Christine. She works in the lab alongside Tris," Jeanine explained. Tobias sat up straight and shook Christine's hand while offering her a kind smile, "It's nice to meet you Miss. Christine." Jeanine noticed the slight blush that had colored her friend's cheeks. "Nice to meet you too as well Mr. Eaton," Christine smiled politely and looked back at Jeanine questioningly. Jeanine took a deep breath and filled Christine in on everything she and Tobias had figured out in relevance to Tris' whereabouts.

"So you work with Tris," Tobias asked giving Jeanine a moment to compose herself. Christine took Jeanine's hand in her own to help comfort her friend. "Not very often, but sometimes our laboratories work together. Tris is a biochemical engineer while I am a biomechanical engineer," Christine filled in. "I see," Tobias nodded feeling very out of his element. "Do you think we could step out in the hallway and speak for a moment," He asked wanting to get any new information the young woman might be able to provide as soon as possible. Christine turned and met Jeanine's sad eyes. Jeanine gave the woman's hand a tight squeeze and nodded her head, "Go ahead, I don't imagine you will know much as your departments are quite separate. But you should tell Tobias what you know anyway. Sometimes the smallest details can make all the difference," Christine offered her friend a small smile. She placed a soft kiss on Jeanine's forehead before standing and following Tobias out into the hallway.

Jeanine collapsed back in the waiting room chair and closed her eyes. She had fought her doubts but they were slowly chipping away at her resolve. Sometimes being Erudite was a pain – it meant her mind would come up with all the possible outcomes for everything. She wondered where Tris was, if she was okay, and if she was even still alive. The last thought scared her to death and she did her best to push it to the back of her mind. She kept her eyes closed and folded her arms over her chest. Her mind quickly filled with the last time she had been with Tris. Her mind raced with questions; had she told Tris that she loved her, did Tris know, could she have done something different, where was Tris, who took her, why did they take her? Jeanine shook her head in an attempt to clear the relentless questions circling in her mind. She opened her eyes and stood quickly, needing to break from the line of thought she was following. She spotted a small beverage station in the corner of the room and decided to make a cup of hot tea.

Tobias and Christine re-entered the small waiting room just as Jeanine was finishing up making the tea. Jeanine overheard Tobias tell Christine to call him if she had any more information. Jeanine subtly shook her head; she already knew that Christine would not have any new information. Tris and Christine's laboratories had corresponded and shared some of the work load. But the more intense projects, such as the non-hallucinogen, had been left up to Tris. She sipped on her hot tea and wished she could go for her regular morning run. Her body was exhausted, but it always helped her to organize her thoughts.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket. Caleb had gone in for surgery approximately an hour ago which meant that he should be out around 3pm, and that Tris had been missing for nearly 19 hours. She sighed thoughtfully and opened the photo gallery on her phone. There were only a few pictures on Jeanine's phone, but nearly all of them were of Tris or her and Tris. She flipped through them and her heart warmed with the memories that each picture held. Jeanine sat back down between her friends and let herself be carried away into her memories.

Almost an hour later a nurse stepped into the waiting room and called Jeanine's name. Jeanine launched herself out of the chair with her pent up tension and tried to analyze the nurses' expression as quickly as possible. "What happened," She demanded noticing the anxious look on the older woman's face. "Ms. Matthews would you care to step out in the hall with me," The nurse asked. She turned to open the door into the hallway and Jeanine practically raced through it. Her heart raced so loudly she could hear it in her ears and she clenched her fists as her sides. "What happened," Jeanine growled at the nurse again when they were both in the hallway.

"Well... We uh..." The nurse stammered under Jeanine's furious glare. "Spit it out woman," Jeanine barked. The nurse cleared her throat and shifted nervously, "Yes, ma'am, well, um… Caleb made it through the surgery fine." Jeanine released a huge sigh of relief and un-balled her fists. She looked back through the glass window of the waiting room and gave Christine and Tobias a smile. They smiled back at her and Christine gave her thumbs up. Jeanine's eyes traveled back to the nurse and she squinted at she saw the tension still in the older woman's face. "What is it," Jeanine asked dread filling her voice.

The nurse shifted uneasily again, "The good news is that Caleb should be conscious again within the next 24 hours." Jeanine furrowed her brow, "And the bad news," She pushed. The nurse swallowed hard, "The bad news is… It is possible that Caleb is paralyzed from the waist down." Jeanine closed her eyes, and put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Her body shook with stress and anger. Caleb, good, innocent, kind, Caleb, the person who planned camping trips and days at the amusement park, would be paralyzed. She wrapped her free arm around her stomach as her stomach began to churn violently.

Christine had noticed her friend's change in behavior and ran out into the hallway. She let her hand rest on Jeanine's shoulder and the woman instantly turned into her and began to sob. Christine held her friend tightly and her heart ached for the woman. "Hey, what happened," She asked softly after Jeanine's sobbing had quieted. "C-Caleb paralyzed," Jeanine was able to choke out. Christine sighed heavily, "Oh man." She held Jeanine tightly, "But he's okay otherwise right?" Jeanine nodded her head against Christine's shoulder and realized her friend was right. Caleb was alive, and he was going to be conscious again soon.

"Ms. Matthews," The nurse asked having the two women a few minutes to console each other. "Yes," Jeanine sniffled and broke from Christine's embrace. "Dr. Richardson would like to continue with the operation and fix Caleb's broken bones," The nurse said calmly. Jeanine rubbed at her forehead, "Oh, yes of course. Um, please tell him to do what he can." The nurse nodded her head in finality and turned to walk back into the operating room.

_Four hours later_ _(Tris has been missing for approx. 22 hours)_

"Jeanine why don't you go home and get some rest," Christine asked looking up from Caleb to see Jeanine's exhausted expression. Jeanine shook her head, "No, I want to be here in case he wakes up." Christine walked around Caleb's hospital bed and gave her friend a stern look. "Caleb is fine Jeanine," She reasoned, "and the doctor said he likely won't wake up until mid-morning tomorrow anyway…You should go home, get some rest. I'll stay here with Caleb and call you if anything happens." Jeanine proved be very reluctant. But eventually Christine was able to convince her to go home and at least take a shower and change clothes.

Jeanine rubbed at the soreness in her neck as she sped down the interstate leaving the city. A twinge of guilt built in her stomach for leaving Caleb, but she knew Christine was right. She needed some time to clear her thoughts so she could focus on finding Tris. Caleb had made it through the rest of the surgery without any complications. Dr. Richardson had assured her that the paralysis prognosis was not one hundred percent accurate since Caleb was not conscious yet. And it was true; she needed a shower and change of clothes.

She drove the rest of the way home shifting her focus to Tris and the image Tobias had showed her that morning. Not one to make judgements solely on gut-feelings, Jeanine needed more information before she could begin to question Dauntless leadership. She thought about Sargent Tori Wu and wondered if the solider had gathered any useful information. She made a mental note to call the sergeant in the morning and find out. Almost an hour later, Jeanine parked her car outside of the apartment building and pressed the elevator button for the top floor.

Almost robotically Jeanine made her way into the apartment. She shut the door and locked it behind her dropping her keys on the in table. She stopped in the living room and stared at the kitchen. She couldn't remember the last time she ate, but she wasn't hungry. So she turned and walked down the hallway leading to the bedroom. She swallowed hard stepping into the room, and let her muscle memory set in. She sat on the bench at the foot of the bed and removed Tris' old tennis shoes. She continued her nightly routine mechanically; she took a quick shower, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, all the while knowing that something was missing.

Having dried off, Jeanine walked into the closet shelf to get a new pair of pajamas. She pulled on a pair causing a box to come down with them. Jeanine grabbed the box quickly before it could hit the ground and sighed heavily when she realized what it was. For a moment she debated on whether or not to put the box back up. Deciding against it, Jeanine took the box and pajamas back into the bedroom. She slid on the silk pajamas and through back the comforter climbing into bed.

She reached out and pulled the box toward her. A lump formed in her throat when she pulled the lid off and revealed all of the notes Tris had left for her throughout their relationship. She slowly looked through the notes, taking them out of the box and reading them each one by one.

_Good luck today! I know you will do great! XO –T_

_Smile! XO – T_

_Don't forget, tomorrow night we are going to Caleb's for a cookout! –XO T_

_You are beautiful! XO – T_

_Kiss me! XO –T_

_I'm sorry I was late last night. I will make it up to you – promise! XO – T_

_You are the best part of my day and my life. I love you! XO –T_

Jeanine wiped away tears that had started to fall from her eyes. Her mind filled with memories of each note Tris had left her. She gathered the papers together and held them close to her chest. "AAAHHHHHHHHHH," She let out an angry blood curdling scream into the still air before collapsing onto the bed in tears. Her heart thrummed in her chest and she swore she could feel it break. Hot tears fell from her eyes and her body trembled with unsteady breathing.

She slammed her fist against the bed in frustration. "Why," She cried out as new tears covered her cheeks. "Why me," She whispered angrily, "Why Tris." She was the leader of Erudite, one of the most respected people in all of the factions. She was a good person, with a good heart, and she always gave her very best. "Why," She asked again her voice strained with tears. Her hands balled into fists and she clenched the comforter pulling it to her. She felt something poking her in the chin and looked down to see she had crumpled the notes.

Jeanine gasped and regret washed over her as she looked at the scattered and now very crumpled notes. She sniffled and slowly sat up careful not to damage any of the notes further. She wiped the tears from her eyes and dried her hands on her pants. Slowly, she picked up all of the notes and unfolded them placing them back in the box. She swallowed hard and put the lid back on the box and carried it to the closet, returning it to its original position.

Her head throbbed and she rubbed at her forehead as she crawled back in bed. She yawned and her exhaustion began to set in. She turned to head to look at the pillow next to her and sighed heavily seeing that it was empty. They had only spent a handful of nights apart since moving in together and Jeanine felt the emptiness in her heart. She turned onto her side and stared at the pillow. She started to imagine Tris, imagine what it would be like if the past 24 hours had not happened. Jeanine's exhaustion began to set in and her mind began to wander back through distant memories again. Before long she was holding Tris' pillow close and fast asleep.

_A knock at the door quickly pulled Tris from her thoughts and she stiffened. She set her jaw with a her new found determination – she had to figure out what was really going on at the Factionless compound, what Evelyn's true vendetta was, and find a way to get back home to Caleb and Jeanine._

Tris opened the door to find Will standing there with a friendly smile. "Ready to eat," Will asked and Tris nodded her head, "Always." She offered him a small smile and stepped out in the hallway pulling the door closed behind her. They made their way back to the elevator and back to the cafeteria area with very little conversation. Tris' mind was clouded with exhaustion and worry.

"Tris," Will asked for the third time finally snapping her from her daydream. "Huh," Tris shook her head sitting up straight at the cafeteria table. "Sorry, what," She asked trying to quickly figure out what she had missed. "You've hardly touched your dinner," Will noted gesturing to Tris' tray with his fork. Tris stared down at her burger and fries with disinterest and pursed her lips together. "Are you feeling alright," Will asked furrowing his brow at Tris' strange behavior. "Yeah, I'm just…" She trailed off and rubbed at the back of her neck before leaning back in the chair.

"I'm sorry Will," She apologized looking up to meet the young doctor's concerned expression, "I guess I just have a lot on my mind." Will nodded his head, "That's understandable." Tris wiped her hand over her face. "Do you think we could postpone the meet and greet until tomorrow," She asked hopeful. Will responded reassuringly, "Of course!" Tris gave him a grateful smile and took a deep breath letting her hands fall back into her lap. "So why are you here," She asked looking up from her hands and back at Will.

Will's shoulders slumped and he sat silently for a moment. "I imagine for much the same reason you are," He said thoughtfully. Tris looked at him questioningly, "What do you mean?" Will sat his fork on the table and laced his fingers together on the table. "I didn't come here by choice," He explained his voice low and his expression solemn. "I was happy studying and practicing medicine at Erudite. One day I got a phone call, someone who said they needed help in a pre-med class. I was on the tutor list so I wasn't exactly surprised to get the call," Will explained. Tris remained quiet while Will told his story. "So we set up a date and time to meet. Only when I arrived, it wasn't a student waiting for me…" Will trailed off and Tris nodded her head in understanding.

"So why do you stay here and do Evelyn's bidding," Tris questioned with a harsher tone than she had intended. Will tucked his head at the accusation. "I'm sorry Will," She apologized sincerely, "I didn't-" Will waved his hand cutting Tris off. "No, you're right… But it's not because I want to," He reasoned looking up and meeting brown eyes. "She threatened my mom," He whispered. Tris closed her eyes, "Shit," She breathed now feeling terrible for her outburst. Will sighed heavily and looked back up at Tris. He waited until Tris looked back up at him before continuing, "She told me things Tris… Things about me that only I, or people very close to me would know. She took what I love and turned it against me. She is blackmailing me by using my mother. And she forces me to do the dreamscapes on people so she can use what they love against them too."

"I don't understand how she has such a far reach," Tris said lost in thought. "I mean; how does she have the power to threaten faction leaders," Tris clarified. Will shook his head, "I don't know. But I do know that I don't want to test what she is capable of." They sat in silence for a while, both replaying their conversations with Evelyn and what she had said. Tris thought about Caleb. She wondered if he was okay, if he was even alive, or if Evelyn had just used that to blackmail her as well. Her stomach turned into a knot and her jaw clenched. Then she thought about Jeanine and wondered what she would be doing. She would likely be at the hospital with Caleb, or at the office, or at home. Tris sighed heavily and silently wished for a way to let Jeanine know that she was okay.

"Do you mind if we call it a night," Tris asked unable to shake her thoughts of Jeanine and her brother. "Yeah, that's fine," Will agreed, still distracted by his own thoughts. Silently, they both stood and dumped their empty trays before climbing in the elevator again. They bid each other a good night before going to their respective rooms. Tris' mind swam with thoughts as she stepped into her small room and closed the door behind her. Her frustration with the situation had started to build hours earlier and she knew her resolve was close to breaking.

Tris stumbled through the room kicking off her boots as she walked. She undressed and rummaged through the small dresser finding a t-shirt and shorts. She slipped them on and walked over to the small twin bed that awaited her. She sighed; it certainly wasn't the queen size pillow top mattress she shared with Jeanine. Her muscles still ached slightly from the accident, and she groaned in annoyance as she slipped under the covers. She pulled the covers up to her chin and finally let herself relax as much as she could.

Her mind wandered through the events of the last 24 hours. She had been in a car accident, kidnapped, tortured (in an odd way), told she had to create a weapon to assist a mass genocide, and on top of that, the people she cared about most in her life had been threatened with death. Tris stared up at the white ceiling and wondered to herself what she had gotten into. She sighed heavily and began chewing on the inside of her check with anxiety. Drawing in a deep breath, Tris closed her eyes and did her best to relax. She told herself that now was not the time to let her anxiety get the best of her because there would be time for that later.

She grinned at herself, when she had become so much like Jeanine she had no idea. Tris had patiently watched as Jeanine had juggled twenty different things at once with what seemed like ease. A smile broke across Tris' face as she recalled when she first started working with Jeanine. She remembered watching Jeanine juggle twenty different things at one time and still not miss a beat. She would answer every question, read every piece of information and provide solid answers in response. Tris had quickly realized why some people had nicknamed her "Jeanine the machine."

Tris turned over in her bed so she was lying on her side and the smile began to fade. Her heart sunk in her chest when she saw the grey wall instead of a beautiful blonde lying at her side. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on a happy memory with her girlfriend. Before long, Tris was consumed by her memory and drifted off to sleep.

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Thought I would leave in the amount of time Tris has been missing. I was using it for myself to help me stay organized, but I thought it might help you while going back and forth between Jeanine and Tris' POVs.

Let me know what you think? I love reading your comments so please keep them coming! Thank you – Ashlynn :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Just a heads up, this chapter is going to be romantic fluffy fluff-fluff!

I didn't have much time to edit this chapter so I'm sorry if there are a bunch of errors!

Enjoy! -Ashlynn :)

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Tris wrung her hands out and started to pace back and forth. She inhaled deeply and blew out a shaky breath before jumping up and down a few times in an attempt to get some of her nerves out. She looked down at her watch and noticed the time, 6:50, she was ten minutes early. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. She wondered for a moment if she should go back down to her car and wait a few more minutes. "No," She shook her head and took another deep breath. "Come on Tris," She encouraged herself rolling her shoulders. She stretched her arms and neck before wrapping her fingers tightly around the bouquet of roses in her hand and stepping up to the apartment door. Her heart raced rapidly as she lifted her fist to knock on the door. She knocked on the door three times before stepping back and swallowing hard. She did her best to steel her nerves, but she could already feel her hands becoming clammy around the bouquet. She grumbled to herself in frustration and just as she went to wipe one of her hands on her dress pants - the apartment door opened.

Jeanine opened her apartment door to find her date standing just outside. Her eyes wandered predatorily over the young woman standing on her front step. Tris was wearing black dress pants with a simple white button up shirt. A smile threatened to break its threshold when Jeanine noticed that Tris was nervously clinging to the red roses in her hands. Her heart swelled in her chest and she cleared her throat before speaking and locking eyes with the brunette. "Hello Tris," She said her voice throaty, unable to completely hid her arousal at the sight of her date.

Tris stood stoic in the doorway; her eyes glued to Jeanine's shapely curves. A hot blush started to spread across Jeanine's cheeks and she cleared her throat in an attempt to bring Tris back to reality. "Huh... Uh… Hi," Tris stammered, and shook her head. Jeanine laughed warmly at Tris' dazed state. "Come on in," She said and stepped to the side, gesturing for Tris to enter the apartment. Tris swallowed the lump that had once again gathered in her throat and did her best to ignore the heat that had started to build low in her belly. She silently stepped passed Jeanine and into the entry way of the apartment careful not to come into contact with the beautiful woman. "Shall we get those into some water," Jeanine asked turning from the door and looking from Tris to the roses. Tris blinked a few times in confusion until she looked down and noticed the forgotten roses in her hands. "Oh, right… Yes, well… These are for you," She said and held the flowers out to Jeanine.

"Roses are my favorite," Jeanine smiled and Tris felt her heart begin to race wildly in her chest again. "How did you know," She asked coyly, taking the roses and leaning in to place a soft kiss on the brunette's cheek. Jeanine stepped back and gave Tris a playful wink. Tris instantly felt an invisible weight lifted off of her shoulders withJeanine's playfulness. She released a breath she had not realized she had been holding feeling slightly more relaxed. Tris shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly with a flirtatious smile, "Lucky guess?" Jeanine smelled the roses, letting her eyes wander up and down the strong yet slender frame of the attractive woman in front of her. "They are beautiful," She said her eyes never leaving Tris. "Just like you," She added her voice still warm and inviting. Tris felt her knees go weak at the woman's alluring tone again and she smiled happily. She sighed contentedly; Jeanine could hold her captive with only her looks and her charm.

Jeanine smiled inwardly at the reaction she had caused and quickly turned on her heel, leading her date to the kitchen. Tris shoved her hands into her pants pockets and chewed on her lower lip doing her best to ignore her arousal. "So, where are we going tonight," Jeanine asked as she put the flowers in a tall glass vase. "That's a secret," Tris piped up suddenly finding her voice. "One for me to know and you to find out," She added teasingly. Jeanine shook her head and smiled warmly. She had been trying for a week to figure out where they were going, but Tris had proved relentless in keeping it a secret. "Well, shall we be on our way then," Jeanine inquired crossing the kitchen and stopping just a few feet short of Tris.

Tris' eyes wandered from shiny red high heels to milky white skin, toned calf muscles, and on up Jeanine's voluptuous curves. Heat began to pool at the apex of her thighs and she shifted uncomfortably. Her mind filled with memories of what the red dress now kept from her sight. Warm ivory skin, perfect curves, subtle dips and sudden rises… "Tris," Jeanine said bringing Tris out of her daydream. "Huh," Tris mumbled looking up to see Jeanine staring at her with a smirk on her red lips. "Are you ready," Jeanine asked again trying to hide her amusement.

"We could just call and cancel… You know… Stay in…" Tris offered with a shrug of her shoulder. "Now why on earth would we do that," Jeanine asked knowingly, her eyebrow arched and her hand falling to rest on her hip. Tris swallowed hard and rubbed at the back of her neck as her eyes trailed along Jeanine's body. "It's you in that…That dress," She said looking up to meet Jeanine's gaze. "You've seen me in dresses before darling," Jeanine countered playfully. She smoothed the form fitting dress over her body and watched as Tris' eyes darkened. Tris shifted uncomfortably aroused as her need for her lover continued to grow. She wanted to rip the dress from Jeanine's frame and ravish the woman it was hiding from her. Tris cleared her throat but her voice was still higher than usual. "Yes, well… They weren't dresses like that," Tris said arching her eyebrow and letting her eyes run up and down Jeanine's frame again.

Jeanine laughed warmly in amusement and took a step forward nearly closing the space between them. "I think this may be the first time I have rendered you nearly speechless darling… Well, with just a dress that is," She leaned in kissed the tip of Tris' nose. Tris scrunched her nose, "Uhhhhhh Uhhuh…" She answered with a smile, her mind becoming increasingly distracted by thoughts of what she wanted. Jeanine took another step closing the distance between them and letting her hands take purchase on Tris' forearms. She drew a deep breath as their noses brushed together and their lips almost met. Blue eyes met brown and were instantly locked in a dual of lust and tension. "Do you want me," Jeanine whispered against Tris' lips. Tris pulled her fists from her pockets and wrapped her arms around Jeanine's waist; effectively pulling the two women flush together. "Yes," Tris replied simply her voice deep with arousal. Jeanine's eyes fell closed and a soft moan escaped her lips at the feeling of Tris rolling their hips together. Her eyes opened heavily and she saw that Tris' caramel brown eyes had darkened further with arousal. "Do you want me right here, right now," Jeanine wondered aloud managing to keep her voice from breaking. Tris let her hands eagerly slide down the red dress to squeeze Jeanine's backside, "You know I do," She groaned.

A wave of heat raced down Jeanine's spine. "Do you want to… take me to our bedroom…" Jeanine asked between moments of catching her breath. She reached down to squeeze Tris' tight ass and their hips rolled together. She leaned forward so her lips were at the shell of Tris' ear, "Do you want to fuck me really hard?" Tris closed her eyes and body vibrated as Jeanine's words washed over her. Her core tensed and the knot at the base of her spine tightened. Her vision became slightly blurred, and her heart raced against Jeanine's chest. "Yes," She replied in a rushed breath.

Jeanine leaned back in Tris' embrace and grinned wickedly. "Well, glad to know we have something to look forward to later," She said matter-of-factly and placed a soft kiss on Tris' lips. Tris let out a loud groan and slapped Jeanine on the ass. Jeanine jumped in surprise and let out a small yelp. "I swear you're going to be the death of me woman," Tris growled with a smirk on her face. Jeanine laughed heartily and gave Tris a chaste yet sweet kiss. "Come on, I'm excited to see what you have planned," She encouraged and stepped out of Tris' embrace to pull her toward the doorway. Tris groaned again in response, and did her best to tamper her arousal. Jeanine collected her things and the two women made their way out of the apartment building and to Tris' car.

"Are you feeling okay dear," Jeanine asked as Tris merged her Camaro onto the main highway. "Hmmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine," Tris said keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them. "Are you sure," Jeanine pressed on. When Tris and Jeanine first started working together, their constant banter had been something that both amused and annoyed them. Each woman could press the other even further, nagging each other on, neither wanting to give in. After several late night talks and glasses of wine, that competitive nature quickly turned into a mutual affection, and with time - love. Now that banter was simply a part of who they were as a couple, it was part of the way they communicated.

"You seemed pretty unnerved when I opened the door to let you in earlier," Jeanine noted. Tris let out a small shy laugh, "Yeah, I guess I was… I don't know, I was just standing outside your door and it felt like our first date all over again. My heart was racing; my palms were getting sweaty… I even considered running back down to my car for a moment." Jeanine smiled at Tris' confession and her heart was touched. "Oh, Tris," She smiled and reached to lace her fingers with her girlfriend's eliciting a smile from the brunette. "Well, you're not the only one who was nervous," Jeanine confessed. "My stomach has been in knots all day with excitement," She continued and squeezed Tris' hand tightly.

"It's kind of hard to believe that our first date was two years ago," Jeanine said thoughtfully. Tris brought Jeanine's hand up to her lips and planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand, "I know." Jeanine blushed and shifted in her seat, "So, where are you taking me?" Tris laughed and shook her head, "You really hate surprises don't you?" Jeanine schooled her expression and turned so she was facing Tris. "I find it best to _know_ what's going on," She said dryly, knowing it would make Tris laugh.

Tris chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Of course, I had to fall in love with an Erudite… Thinks she has to know it all." Jeanine released Tris' hand and smacked it playfully. "Hey now, it has served me well to know where I am going rather than simply barreling through life at full speed," She teased. The smile on Tris' face grew, "Well, at least you and I both know that you like to break the rules every now and then." Jeanine smiled warmly, knowing that Tris was right and laced their hands together again. The car fell into a comfortable silence as the radio played and the skyscrapers stared to come into view.

Tris parked her Camaro outside of an old building in the downtown district. "What on earth are we doing here," Jeanine asked flatly looking out the window at the old building. "You'll see soon enough," Tris promised and turned the car engine off. She hopped out and ran around to open the door for her date. Jeanine smiled up at Tris as she took her outstared hand before standing from the car and adjusting her dress. "I'm afraid I might be slightly overdressed," She said looking up at the dilapidated building nervously. "You look marvelous," Tris reassured closing the car door and taking Jeanine's hand again.

Tris led Jeanine into the building and to an old fashioned elevator lift. Jeanine looked at it hesitantly and wondered if the old piece of machinery would be able to carry them both at once. "Come on, I promise it will be worth it," Tris said taking Jeanine's hands in her own and stepping backward into the elevator. Jeanine stood hesitant for a moment, unsure if the elevator was truly fit for operation. But upon seeing Tris' pleading puppy dog eyes, she gave a sigh of compliance and stepped tentatively onto the elevator.

Tris closed the metal door and pushed a button causing the elevator to groan and creak as it came to life. Jeanine cringed at the noise and squeezed Tris' hand tightly, "I think it is you who will be the death of me!" The two lovers laughed nervously as the elevator slowly made its way up the top of the building. When the lift stopped Tris slid open the metal door to reveal the large rooftop terrace. Jeanine looked down as she cautiously stepped out of the elevator and noticed a long piece of red carpet was now under her feet. She turned back to Tris and found she was once again eyeing her appearance again. Tris flashed a bright smile and stepped out of the elevator offering Jeanine her arm. Jeanine took it gratefully and they walked together down the red carpet taking in the new view.

The carpeted path led them to a small romantic dining area that Tris had spent most of the day setting up. Jeanine inhaled sharply and squeezed Tris' arm tightly as she took in the scene. There were rose petals sprinkled all over the terrace and strings of lights had been strung across the top. Jeanine turned her attention back to the middle of the area and noticed a small table that was set for two with a white linin table cloth and candle. She looked around and her heart swelled with love and appreciation. She turned to Tris and was met with shinning brown eyes. "Thank you," She breathed her voice soft with unshed tears. Tris smiled proudly and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend embracing her in a tight hug. "You're welcome," She whispered back and leaned back to place a chaste kiss on Jeanine's lips.

"Come on, you haven't even seen the best part yet," Tris said releasing her hold on Jeanine to take her hand. Together they walked to the edge of the rooftop and Tris watched Jeanine's face excitedly as the city came into view. Jeanine brought her hand to her mouth in surprise as she stood next to Tris and took in the beautiful scene of the city at night. "Wow," She said with astonishment. Tris smiled pleased with herself as she glanced back and forth between Jeanine's expression and the dancing city lights. "It's beautiful, huh," She asked admiring the view of the tall skyscrapers. Jeanine let her hand fall from her mouth and rest on her chest, "Yes, it most certainly is… I've never seen the city like this before." Tris hummed to herself content and the two lovers stood together quietly taking in the view. Jeanine's stomach growled audibly and she quickly covered her stomach with her hands with embarrassment. Tris laughed heartily and noticed the blush starting to creep across Jeanine's cheeks. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who is starving," Tris announced with a wink and led Jeanine back to the small table. She pulled out the chair for Jeanine to sit and the blonde took it graciously.

"Do you remember what we had to eat on our first date," Tris asked over her shoulder as she walked toward a hidden cooler in the corner. Jeanine furrowed her brow in confusion at the question. She smoothed out her dress while trying to think of the answer. "Ummm… Was it Chinese food," She guessed after a moment of quiet contemplation. "That was the first time we went out to eat. I'm talking about our actual first date," Tris replied gathering everything and making sure Jeanine couldn't see what she was carrying. "I'm almost certain we went out for Chinese on our first date," Jeanine said sounding even more sure of herself. Tris started back toward the table, "It's not Chinese Jeanine," She deadpanned.

"Well then to which 'first date' are you referring," Jeanine asked with sass in her voice. A smirk spread across Tris' lips as she sat two covered plates on the table, "The first night I came over to your apartment and we stayed up all night drinking wine and talking." Then it dawned on Jeanine, "Ohhhh that night… I don't think that really qualifies as a date," She said shaking her head. Tris, realizing she had forgot to grab the wine, quickly turned on her heels and returned to the cooler ignoring Jeanine's comment. "Do you remember what we had to eat that night," Tris called over her shoulder. Jeanine was silent for a moment as she tried to remember what they had eaten.

"Your refrigerator had been nearly empty and we didn't want to wait for delivery," Tris hinted as she grabbed the bottle of the wine from the cooler. Jeanine closed her eyes tightly trying to recall the night. "Did we open my bottle of Argentine Torrontes that night," She asked the memory starting to come back to her. "That's right," Tris announced having arrived back at the table with a bottle of wine in her hand. Jeanine opened her eyes and was greeted with Tris pouring her a glass of the same wine. Tris quirked an eyebrow as a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, "And now do you remember what we had to eat that night?" Realization hit Jeanine and her mouth fell open in surprise, "Oh my gosh… Tris, you didn't."

Tris smiled mischievously and giggled quietly while she removed the cloth that had been covering Jeanine's plate. "My lady, I present to you, you're dinner," Tris said revealing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Jeanine laughed heartily and buried her face in her hands. "I knew I'd never live that down," She mumbled into her hands. Tris laughed and took her seat across from Jeanine. "Hey, it was memorable. Besides, there is nothing wrong with a classic PB &amp; J," Tris defended. Jeanine dropped her hands into her lap and gave Tris a bright smile, "Thank you." Tris noticed the sentiment lingering in Jeanine's voice and her heart leapt in her chest. "I hope you're not disappointed. When I was planning this night I wanted to make sure it included things from the last couple years we have spent together," Tris said suddenly nervous and beginning to question if she had maybe made a mistake. "Oh Tris, I'm not disappointed at all," Jeanine reached out and took Tris' hand across the table. "Everything is perfect," She assured with a warm smile. They ate their sandwiches and talked over the rest of dinner as they recalled everything that had happened in the past two years.

Jeanine leaned back in the chair with her glass of wine in hand and watched as Tris stood from the table and walked to the corner of the rooftop. Music slowly filled the air when Tris pressed play on the old boom box. She spun quickly on her heels to face Jeanine and confidently strode over to where she was sitting. "May I have this dance," Tris asked bowing and extending her hand out. Jeanine laughed warm-heartedly at the formality and set her wine glass on the table. She let her hand rest in Tris' and stood to meet the blonde. Tris smiled brightly and stood, resting one hand on Jeanine's lower back and holding Jeanine's hand in the other. Jeanine arched her eyebrow defiantly, "Darling, you may be wearing the pants here, but I will be leading this dance."

Tris laughed at the remark and released her hold on Jeanine's waist. It was one of her favorite things about their relationship; there was not one dominate party. They shared responsibility for everything and trusted each other's strengths. Jeanine took up a formal pose and Tris followed along happily placing her hand in Jeanine's and her other hand on Jeanine's shoulder. Jeanine suddenly pulled Tris in very close and took on a very somber expression. "Now, we dance," She exclaimed in a strange accent. Both women laughed out loud at their behavior and took off dancing. Jeanine was a very skilled dancer; as she had taken lessons as a child, and easily led Tris around the rooftop terrace. Tris did her very best to not break stride and keep in time with Jeanine. They spun and twirled around and around until the song came to an end and they fell into each other laughing and smiling.

The next song started to play and they both recognized the familiar tune. Jeanine let her head rest on Tris' shoulder while she caught her breath from the last song. Tris wrapped her arms around Jeanine and they began to spin in slow steady circles as the piano played on. Tris hummed the words to the song and rested her head against Jeanine's. When the last verse started to play they both began to quietly sing along; "_Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be, take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you." _

The music played on and the two lovers found themselves lost in each other. The only thing they knew in the world was each other. They allowed themselves get lost in the music, altogether forgetting about the place they were and how much time had gone by.

"Well, now we have a couple of choices," Tris started as she and Jeanine slowed their dance to a halt. "Hmmm," Jeanine questioned reluctantly lifting her head from Tris' shoulder. Tris smiled when she saw blue-grey eyes looking back at her. "We could go to a hotel…. Or we could go home…" Tris continued and Jeanine stood in contemplative silence for a moment. A smile crept across Tris' face as she watched Jeanine mentally weigh the pros and cons of each option. "I had initially intended for us to spend the night up here, but I'm afraid that it rain," Tris explained knowing that she was really saying more for herself than for Jeanine. Reaching a decision at that exact moment Jeanine looked up at Tris and tilted her head sideways just slightly, "We should go home." Tris dipped her head in agreement, "Home it is then." After doing some quick cleaning and organizing the couple was back in Tris' Camaro and on their way home.

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This chapter was so much fun for me to write! I've been writing angst for most of the story so far and it felt good to get all mushy and fluffy for a little while.

I want you to know that I read all of your reviews and they make me even more excited for this story to unfold! I love that you all are enjoying reading it as much as I love writing it! Thank you! :)

That being said, what did you think of this chapter? :)

Thanks - Ashlynn


	12. Chapter 12

So this started off as a fun little smut scene and in true Ashlynn – style, it turned into something much much more. There is vulnerability and sincerity and a whole bunch of feelings wrapped up in this chapter. It was truly a labor of love writing it. I want you to know that the topics discussed in this chapter are very serious to me. And I do not intend to offend or discredit anyone's personal experience. I felt that this was an important part of Tris and Jeanine's history and I wanted to share it with you. I believe it is a good example of how much love and trust they share.

**Warning**: Mention of rape in the past, (I did my best to only include what was relevant to the present place of the story). Also, our ladies talk about the use of a phallus in this chapter. Smut.

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"I'm sorry we didn't get to stay in the city," Jeanine apologized while standing in front of the bathroom mirror and removing her make up. "It's okay," Tris said with a shrug and continued kicking off her boots while leaning the edge of the bed. Her brown eyes went wide when looked up to see a full view of Jeanine from the back side. She still wore the shiny red heels, and her dress was riding up ever so slightly as Jeanine leaned over the vanity. Tris' mouth went dry at the sight and a familiar heat began to rise at the apex of her thighs. "Damn," She cursed under her breath. "What was that darling," Jeanine asked from the bathroom unable to make out what Tris had said.

Tris stood from the edge of the bed, and walked into the bathroom where she stood behind Jeanine. "I said damn," She answered clearly, letting her eyes wander up Jeanine's enticing body to meet her reflection in the mirror. "Oh," Jeanine pressed her lips together recognizing the want in Tris' voice. The brunette took a step forward and pressed her hips firmly against her lover's backside. Jeanine swallowed hard and kept her eyes trained on Tris' reflection as her body vibrated to life with arousal. Tris reached forward and let her hands trace down the outline of Jeanine's form-fitting dress, appreciating the smooth material and the way it hugged the blonde's curves.

"Promise me," Tris' voice penetrated the charged air in the room, "That you will only wear this dress for me." A delicious chill ran up Jeanine's spine at the commanding tone Tris' voice had taken on, and small smile spread across her painted lips. "I promise," She said and swallowed hard; her voice had come out much weaker than she had expected - a mixture of sincerity and arousal. Tris moved her hands down Jeanine's curves committing the feeling to memory just as she had so many times before. Her hands found purchase on Jeanine's hips and she gripped at them possessively. Tris already knew Jeanine was faithful to her promises, she just wanted to hear the blonde say it out loud.

Jeanine watched in the mirror as a salacious smirk filled the younger woman's face. She pushed her heating core back against Tris' center and watched as her eyes darkened in the mirror with arousal. Tris chewed on her lower lip to keep from moaning loudly in pleasure. Jeanine sat the cloth she had been using on the counter top and stood slowly, her eyes never leaving the brown ones behind her. Tris took a step back allowing Jeanine just enough space to turn around. The blonde turned on her heels quickly; her arousal growing. She felt the heat start to rise at the apex of her thighs when she was met with Tris' now dark chocolate brown eyes.

She collided with Tris and roughly pinned the younger woman against the bathroom wall with a loud thud. Tris whimpered into the kiss as her head hit the wall behind her. Blue eyes met brown in a challenge of dominance and possession; neither willing to give up or give in. "My promise comes with a condition," Jeanine hissed heatedly in Tris' ear before running her tongue along its shell. "And what would that be," Tris asked shakily, her hands starting to roam over the red silk material.

Jeanine growled and grabbed Tris' hands pinning them above her head against the wall. She arched a sculpted eyebrow, "That you remain faithful to me," the blonde countered seriously. Tris couldn't have stopped the smile that spread across her lips even if she had wanted to. "Always," She promised with a smile. Jeanine returned the smile knowingly before crashing their lips together once again with passionate heat.

That same heat began to smolder and build between the two women as their bodies pressed and rubbed together. Their lips remained engaged in passionate wanton kisses until they finally broke apart panting. Jeanine's mind swam with arousal. She lowered her lips to Tris' neck peppering it with soft kisses and nips to the tender skin. She continued by wrapped her lips around her lover's pulse point and nipping at the tender skin. Tris let out a guttural moan in response. She launched her hips off the wall thrusting them against Jeanine and causing her to lose her balance. Tris pushed against Jeanine's hands and caught the blonde's shoulders before she could stumble.

Jeanine giggled in embarrassment and a bright smile burst across Tris' face at the sound. She cupped Jeanine's face in her hands and pulled the woman back up to her lips. "I love you," Tris whispered her heart overflowing with love for the woman she held in her arms. Jeanine's knees felt weak, but she managed to find her voice, "I love you too." Tris placed a tender slow kiss on Jeanine's forehead and leaned forward to let their foreheads rest together. They stood there for just a moment; wrapped in each other's arms, eyes closed, foreheads pressed together, their arousal burning, and their hearts both happy and content.

Tris had been contemplating something for the past few months and suddenly felt the need to share it with Jeanine. A knot of anxiety began form in her stomach and her hands started to tremble against Jeanine's back. "I need to talk to you about something," Tris confessed softly, opening her eyes. Jeanine had felt Tris' hands begin to tremble against her back and her heart leapt in her chest when she saw the vulnerability shining through Tris' watery brown eyes. She let her arms wrap tightly around Tris' slim waist and pulled her closed. Taking a deep breath and silently hoping it was not something bad, Jeanine decided to find out what Tris had on her mind. "Okay, I'm all ears," She said awaiting Tris' story.

"I uh…" Tris stammered unable to find the right words at first. Jeanine watched Tris chew on her lower lip and her own anxiety grew. "Well, I guess it's kind of hard to explain… But I… I feel like I need you," Tris confessed shifting from foot to foot. "Oh honey," Jeanine cooed, "I need you too." Tris gave her lover a watery smile; they had already been through this before. But her connection with Jeanine had only continued to grow since they had first meet and now she could not imagine her life without the quirky intelligent blonde. "I know that it may seem illogical, but I honestly don't know what I would do without you," Jeanine said her voice filling with emotion as she gave voice the words Tris had been thinking.

Tris inhaled an unsteady breath getting to the thing she had spent so much time mulling over in her mind. "I am going to ask you to do something for me Jeanine. And if you feel uncomfortable with it at all you just have to say so. I won't be mad – I promise." Jeanine gave Tris a questioning look, her mind racing with hundreds of different possibilities and outcomes all at once. "What is it dear," The older woman finally asked with her eyebrows knit together in a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"I want you to… I need you to….Take me Jeanine," Tris breathed shakily. Jeanine's face contorted in confusion and her head turned slightly to the side. "Take you where," She asked the confusion clear in her voice. "Ahhhhahahahahaha," Tris laughed aloud and shook her head confusing Jeanine even more. "What is so funny," Jeanine asked curious as to what she had missed. Tris cackled in amusement, her anxiety falling away with each fit of laughter that washed over her. She released her hold on the blonde calming herself before smacking herself on the forehead and letting her hand wipe over her face.

Jeanine stared in complete bewilderment as Tris tried to contain her laughter. "Whew," Tris blew out a calming breath, "I needed that, thank you." She ran her fingers through her hair looking back at Jeanine who was now smiling slightly but still held a very confused expression "You're welcome," Jeanine said questioningly. Tris giggled again and did her best to suppress the fit of laughter bubbling up from her stomach. She reached out and took Jeanine's hands in her own, "I didn't mean for you to actually take me somewhere." Jeanine suddenly realized what was so funny and her cheeks blushed bright red, "Oh." Tris offered a soft smile and stepped closer to Jeanine. Her voice grew solemn as she spoke and wrapped her arms around the blonde woman, "I meant that I need you… And I want you in every single way possible."

"Ohhhhh," Jeanine said in realization. She looked down at her shoes and read between the lines picking up on what Tris was really asking. A shiver ran down her spine and she swallowed hard as Tris' words rolled around her in her mind before washing over her body. "I want you to break me and make me whole again," Tris whispered her voice filled with assured conviction. An uneasy feeling crept into Jeanine's chest and she remained silent. "We don't have to," Tris reassured. "You've always been more than enough for me," She said and lifting Jeanine's chin with the tip of her finger.

Jeanine looked up to meet Tris' chocolate brown eyes once again. She could easily see the courage and love shining through those brown orbs. Her heart clamored in her chest as her mind quickly weighed the pros and cons of each option. "Jeanine," Tris said snapping the blonde woman from her thoughts, "Stop thinking, stop trying to analyze this, just go with your gut." Jeanine blew a heavy breath out between her lips and closed her eyes abiding to Tris' request. She cleared her mind and thought only of Tris and her love for the young vibrant woman. A smile spread across her lips as a calm soothing feeling washed through her body.

Jeanine opened her eyes to an anxious and awaiting Tris. She leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss against Tris' lips, doing her best to keep her tears at bay and be strong for her lover. Tris kissed Jeanine back desperately; she wanted this with Jeanine, but she had promised herself that she would be understanding no matter what conclusion Jeanine came to. Jeanine broke the kiss with a small smile. She released one of Tris' hands and silently led them to their bedroom.

"Are you sure about this," Jeanine asked wrapping her arms around Tris' waist and standing at the edge of the bed, now slightly shorter than Tris without her heels. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tris did her best to keep her voice from sounding worried, "Yes, I'm sure." Jeanine gave her a look of concern, not fully convinced. "I… I don't know why…," Tris stammered for an explanation, "I mean… I can't really explain it… But I feel like I need this with you… I need you to help me heal this part of me."

Jeanine let her eyes fall closed as her heart swelled with love and appreciation in her chest. Releasing a deep breath, Jeanine summoned her courage and opened her eyes. She was met once again with a warm smile and she felt the sense of calm return to her racing mind. She let her hands slowly travel up Tris' toned arms, until she reached the top button of Tris' shirt. Jeanine thought about the significance of what Tris was asking her to do and her heart swelled even more with pride. But when she thought about why Tris had to ask her to do this, her anxiety started to return and her hands began to tremble. She felt a lump build in her throat and her stomach twist into a knot; this wasn't going to be easy for either of them.

Tris noticed Jeanine's change in mood and took the ivory shaking hands in her own. "Hey," She dipped her head catching Jeanine's already watery eyes with her own. "It's going to be fine," She reassured again and placed a soft kiss to the inside of each of Jeanine's palms. The blonde let out a shaky breath and focused on Tris' voice. It had been a little over a year since Jeanine had learned what happened to Tris while she was a soldier in the Dauntless army. It was something neither of them would ever be able to forget.

While serving outside of the factions Tris had developed a crush on one of her fellow female squad members. A few other Dauntless soldiers had overheard someone gossiping about it and decided to 'straighten the girl out'. One night when Tris was out on patrol she was attacked and violently gang raped by a group of fellow Dauntless soldiers. They had antagonized her about 'supposedly' being Dauntless and about being a homosexual. But most of all, they had made her feel weak. Tris had struggled, but it didn't make a difference - she was too badly out numbered. She regained consciousness to find her uniform ripped to shreds and a pool of blood between her fragile legs. Another patrol officer eventually found Tris and took her to the hospital. After resetting several broken bones and stitching open wounds, the doctors informed Tris that she would be infertile for the rest of her life due to the amount and severity of injuries she had suffered.

Every day since that terrible night Tris had battled her PSTD fiercely. But there were still times when it would get the best of her. There were many nights when Jeanine would wake to Tris screaming and thrashing around in their bed. It had broken Jeanine's heart when Tris explained why she had such terrible nightmares. She had felt anger and grief, but most of all Jeanine felt a sense of appreciation for how far Tris had come and a sense of admiration for her bravery and strength. She did the best she could to help the woman she had fallen in love with to heal. Worried about triggering Tris' PTSD, the couple had agreed not to use any kind of phallus. But now, now Tris was asking. Tris was asking for Jeanine to use one and in her own way...Tris was asking Jeanine to help her face her fears and conquer them.

"Jeanine," Tris asked after a moment of silence passed between them. Jeanine she shook her head back and forth reluctantly and wiped away the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks. "I- I don't," She sniffled. "I don't think I can Tris. I- I'm afraid that I am going to hurt you," Jeanine confessed giving voice to her fears. Tris put both of her hands on Jeanine's shoulders and squeezed gently, "You can. You can, and you won't hurt me…You won't hurt me because you love me too much to let that happen," Tris reasoned her voice becoming thick with emotion. "You're not going to hurt me Jeanine," She whispered reassuring them both.

"Please… I- I feel like I need this Jeanine, and I want this with you," Tris continued becoming impassioned with her love for the blonde haired woman standing in front of her. "I want this with you," She repeated her voice falling quiet and almost pleading. Jeanine drew in a deep breath and released it shakily. She was scared to death, but she wanted to help Tris more than anything. She swallowed hard and nodded her head slightly. "Okay," She sighed barely above a whisper and Tris pulled her into a tight hug.

Tris released her hold on Jeanine after they had both regained their composure. The older woman stepped out of their embrace, and Tris reached up to wipe the tears that had stained Jeanine's flushed cheeks. "You're so beautiful," Tris whispered looking deeply into blue eyes. Jeanine smiled, she knew she looked like a wreck, but she was great full for the complement anyway. Tris let her hands wander down Jeanine's body until she found the hidden zipper and began to pull it down. Her eyes never left Jeanine's as the zipper reached its end and she slid her hand under the fabric. Jeanine inhaled sharply, feeling Tris' warm hand slide tenderly across the small of her back. Arousal began to seep into her veins again and she felt a knot start to form at the base of her spine under Tris' hand.

Tris watched as Jeanine's eyes darkened with lust under her touch. She pulled the woman toward her and into a passionate kiss. They moaned into the kiss and Jeanine slipped her tongue into Tris' mouth wanting to taste her lover. Tris broke the kiss and made quick work of gathering Jeanine's dress in her hands and pulling it off over her head. She slowly licked her lips when Jeanine's body came into view; her smooth milky white skin stood in contrast to the black lace undergarments she wore. Jeanine blushed brightly at feeling Tris' eyes wander over her body. Tris had seen her lover completely nude many times, but Jeanine never failed to rob the air from her lungs. Jeanine's features broke into a salacious smile as she watched Tris' brown eyes fill with an almost - animalistic need that sat her skin on fire.

Tris felt a familiar heat start to gather again between her legs and she reached out to touch Jeanine's smooth skin. She traced her fingers over the shallow of Jeanine's collar bone, down between her full breasts and over her flat stomach until hooking her finger in black lace panties. Jeanine's eyes fluttered closed at the feather-light touches and wrapped her arms around Tris' neck to steady herself. The brunette smiled coyly and started to unbutton her shirt with her free hand. Jeanine watched as Tris' tanned skin was slowly revealed to her.

Jeanine arched an eyebrow and gave Tris an unamused look, knowing the young woman was purposefully taking her time to tease. Tris returned the look with a sly smile and Jeanine let her hands fall to Tris' waste where she started unbuttoning Tris' pants. Tris laughed into a chaste kiss, "Hmmm someone's a little impatient." They shared a soft chuckle and a few more kisses as the rest of Tris' outfit was skillfully removed and strewn across the floor. Within moments both women were standing in only their undergarments at the edge of the bed.

Jeanine let her hands wander over Tris' back and pulled them flush together. They both released a moan at feeling their bodies pressed together and their kisses quickly grew in fervor and passion. Jeanine placed her hands on her lover's firm buttocks and lifted her off of the ground eliciting an excited yelp. Tris wrapped her long legs around her lover's waist and was sat on the edge of the bed. Jeanine felt her skin tingle under Tris' touch and her heart pounded in her chest as she stood at the edge of the bed. She broke their kiss in need of a breath and found herself consumed by big brown orbs. Jeanine could see the pain of a childhood ending to soon, the joy of having a sibling, and the anguish of not being able to fit in. Their history was there in those brown eyes as well. Every silent exchange, every challenge they had faced, every moment they shared in each other's strength, and every time they had comforted each other in weakness. It was all right there in Tris' big brown eyes. Jeanine could see the pain and anger Tris still held inside, but she could also see the relentless unconditional love Tris held in her heart for those she cared about.

The burning knot of tension at the base of Jeanine's spine instantly exploded pulling the blonde from her thoughts when Tris leaned forward and wrapped her lips around a pert nipple still covered by Jeanine's lace bra. Pure pleasure raced up Jeanine's spine causing her head to fall back and her eyes to close in satisfaction. Her back bowed and she pressed her chest out searching for more of the delicious friction. Tris released the soft fabric from between her lips and watched Jeanine's expression change as she reached around and unclasped the bra.

A wave of heat crashed through Tris' veins when Jeanine lowered her arms allowing the bra to fall to the floor. She unconsciously licked her lips at the sight of Jeanine's full round breasts and pulled the woman closer to her. Without warning she latched on to a pert nipple and sucked on it vigorously. Jeanine moaned at the sudden sensation, every hair on her body standing on end in anticipation. Tris eagerly moved to Jeanine's other breast giving it the same attention and treatment. Jeanine bucked her hips against the side of the bed her core searching for friction.

Tris released the nipple between her lips with a pop and Jeanine felt herself slowly come back to reality. Blue eyes once again locked with brown and she surged forward kissing Tris fiercely. The momentum of the kiss caught Tris off guard and she fell back on the bed pulling the blonde with her. Both women laughed playfully as they landed on top of each other in a tangled heap. Jeanine pushed herself up off of the bed so she was hovering just above Tris.

Tris used her elbows to pull herself further onto the bed and Jeanine watched Tris' toned muscles flex with her movements. When Tris reached the middle of the bed and stilled her movements Jeanine lowered her lips to meet Tris' hips. Her lips danced along the waistband of Tris' boy shorts causing Tris' core to instantly clench with arousal. She puffed a hot breath of air over the thin material and bit down on the sensitive flesh, promising to come back to it soon.

"Jeanine," Tris hissed her voice urgent as she lifted her head to look at her lover. Jeanine only raised her eyes to meet Tris' in a tantalizing gaze before going back to peppering the brunette's abdomen with soft kisses and silent promises. She was determined to make this a pleasurable experience for Tris, no matter how difficult that might be.

Jeanine kissed her way up Tris' body, placing feather-light kisses over her abdomen, her pert breasts, up her neck before finally ending at partly opened lips. Tris' eyes fluttered open and she looked up to see her lover hovering over her body. "I'm so glad I met you," She whispered letting her hands rub up and down Jeanine's strong arms. A smile broke across Jeanine's face. "Oh Tris, I'm glad met you too," She whispered leaning down to brush their noses together. Tris lifted herself off of the bed and met red lips. She wrapped her arms around Jeanine's shoulders pulling their bodies flush together on the bed. Jeanine extended her arms above Tris' head as she adjusted to their new position between molten kisses.

Tris broke their kiss and inhaled deeply before flipping them over so she was on top. Jeanine chuckled and placed a kiss to thin lips before her hips were straddled by the woman above her. Tris grinned salaciously as she rolled her hips against Jeanine's. The room filled with moans of pleasure as they rolled their hips together in unison both with insatiable lust.

Tris squeezed Jeanine's breasts into her hands and massaged them gently making sure to pay special attention to her pert nipples. Jeanine's back arched off of the bed in pleasure as the air left her lungs. She reached up blindly her hands finding their way to Tris' bra covered breasts. She squeezed the pert breasts under her palms and pulled at the bra covering them.

The brunette paused her movements for a moment, reaching behind her to unhook her bra and toss it to the side. Jeanine's eyes flew open when she felt tender warm flesh under her finger tips and she looked up at Tris greedily. She pulled and pinched at Tris' nipples, savoring the view of the woman she loved now rocking and gasping in pleasure above her. She let her hands wander over the toned body above her and bit down on her lip when Tris shuddered under the feather light touches.

Jeanine's breath caught roughly in her throat when darkened brown eye's fluttered open to meet her gaze. She let her fingers trial down the valley of Tris' breasts, parting to follow the contour of her rib cage only to meet once again at the apex of Tris' thighs. Tris released a quick breath feeling Jeanine's finger tips so close to her wanting center. "Jeanine," She shuddered her eyes falling closed as another wave of heat coursed through her veins.

Jeanine felt a sudden burst of arousal at hearing her name breathed from Tris' lips and she flipped them over so she was on top again. A chuckle caught in Tris' throat when Jeanine rubbed their centers together. She released another rushed breath and pressed her head back against the bed. Every cell in Jeanine's body vibrated with Tris' moan sending her into a further state of arousal as she rocked back and forth on top of Tris. There was nothing she would not do to hear that sound over and over again.

Remembering their initial intentions Jeanine slowed her hips causing Tris to raise her bed and give her a questioning and impatient look. "Do you want me to…" Jeanine trailed off her stomach beginning to tighten into a knot. "Oh," Tris swallowed in realization. "Uh, yeah, yeah I do," She nodded her head decisively. "Okay," Jeanine dipped her head and placed a tender kiss to Tris' lips before scooting off of the bed all together.


	13. Chapter 13

Jeanine stood at the edge of the bed and pushed her already soaked panties to the floor. Tris propped herself up on her elbows and watched her blonde lover pull the strap on harness from the nightstand. The brunette felt her heart began to race in her chest at the sight of the phallus and her stomach flipped nervously. Jeanine did her best to keep her nerves from showing as she stepped into the harness pulling it up her strong legs and adjusting the straps appropriately. Tris' mouth went dry and her pulse pounded in her ears as she watched Jeanine reach back into the drawer and coat the silicone phallus in a generous amount of lube.

Dropping the lube back in the drawer, Jeanine drew in a deep breath, steeled her nerves the best she could, and turned back to face Tris. She watched as wide brown eyes glued to the phallus standing erect between her thighs and she shifted suddenly slightly uncomfortable. Clearing her throat, Jeanine looked back and forth between the phallus and Tris trying to gauge the younger woman's reaction. "Are you okay," Jeanine asked attempting to read her lover's expression. She didn't want to upset Tris, but she also knew that it would defiantly take the younger woman some time to get used to.

Tris remained still taking in the view for a moment before falling back on the bed with an exasperated huff. Her mind raced with flashbacks and she closed her eyes trying to keep herself from reliving the horror of her past. She wiped her hand over her face and let out a low frustrated growl. Anger started to boil in her veins. It shouldn't be like this, she shouldn't have to be like this, it should be simple, easy… But it's not.

"Tris," Jeanine asked hesitantly, noticing Tris' sudden change in mood. Tris squeezed her eyes closed tighly. This wasn't just unfair to her; it was unfair to Jeanine, and for Tris, that seemed infinitely worse. She swallowed hard trying to prevent her voice from coming out harsh. "Just… Give me a minute please."

Jeanine's stomach tightened at hearing the desperation ringing in Tris' usually strong voice. She took another deep breath clenching her hands into fists at her side to keep from reaching out and touching the brunette. She didn't know exactly what Tris was thinking, but she also didn't want to do something that could trigger a PTSD episode.

Tris' cheeks burned hotly as she blew out a shaky breath between her lips. She drew in a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. She rolled her head from side to side before finally opening her eyes to stare up at the ceiling. Her pulse began to slow and she did her best to let her mind go blank. Thoughts of the horrific night Tris had endured attempted to break through her resolve but she refused to let them. She rested on of her hands on her forehead and sighed in relief at the cool contact.

"Are you okay," Jeanine asked unsure, still standing at the side of the bed and carefully waching Tris' expressions. A smile spread across Tris' lips at the older woman's voice. There is was, rich and melodic as always; the voice of the woman she loved and Tris' heart swelled in her chest. A throaty chuckle escaped her thin lips and she rocked her head from side to side.

Jeanine stood in complete confusion; Tris was shaking her head no and laughing. Her head fell to the side and she furrowed her eyebrows together watching Tris laugh. A sculpted eyebrow arched when Jeanine silently wondered if her girlfriend was having some kind of psychotic break.

It was at that exact moment when Tris looked up from the bed to meet Jeanine's bewildered expression. She fell back on the bed in a fit of laugher at the scene. "BAHAHAHAHAHA!" Tris opened her eyes long enough to see the look still on Jeanine's face and she wrapped her arms around her midsection laughing hysterically. She reveled in the laughter; it felt good to just be happy, even if it was at Jeanine's expense for the moment.

"Tris Prior," Jeanine snapped, playfully smacking Tris on the calf and realizing she was the cause for Tris' laughing fit. Tris covered her mouth with her hand trying to calm herself and stifle her laughter. Jeanine shook her head and did her best to suppress a smile. The younger woman cleared her throat as she sat up on the bed within reaching distance of the blonde. She smiled at Jeanine who was still looking at her with a somewhat curious expression.

"Do I really look that funny with a rubber dick between my legs," Jeanine asked seriously doing her best to keep a bright smile from bursting across her face. Tris suppressed her laugh for as long as she could, "HA! Hahahahahaha!" She laughed again and Jeanine feigned offence. "Oh it's on now," She said tackling the brunette and starting a vicious tickle war.

Tris screeched with laughter as Jeanine relentlessly attacked her sides tickling her as fast as possible. For that short moment, everything seemed to fall away. There was no past history to worry about, no fears, no anxiety; it was just two lovers enjoying an evening to themselves.

Tris drew in several deep breaths when Jeanine rolled off of her ending the tickle war and catching her breath from laughing so hard. They relaxed together in comfortable silence staring up at the ceiling and catching their breath. Tris inhaled deeply and closed her eyes; she could do this, with Jeanine, she could do anything. A smile crept across her face and she felt courage build in her heart.

Without warning she rolled over and sat up so she was straddling Jeanine's abdomen. The blonde looked up and blinked rapidly at the change in scenery. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth before spreading across her lips. "No," Tris said simply. Jeanine furrowed her eyebrows, "What?"

"No, you don't look funny with a rubber dick between your legs," Tris said glancing over her shoulder and then back at Jeanine. The blonde rolled her eyes with a smile and exhaled, "Oh gosh. Well thank you - I think." Tris snickered and planted her hands on either side of Jeanine's head. She lowered herself over the blonde brushing their noses together; "It's actually kinda sexy," Tris added her voice becoming low and sultry.

"Is that so," Jeanine asked letting her hands slide up the outside of Tris' thighs. "Mmmmhmmm," the brunette hummed brushing their noses together as she nodded her head in confirmation. Jeanine shook her head back and forth; causing their noses to kiss as their eyes met in a knowing gaze.

Tris let her eyes fall closed and leaned down pressing her lips to Jeanine's. A wonderful warmth washed through their bodies as their kiss grew in passion and fervor. Tris broke their kiss and lifted her upper body from Jeanine's, both women panting heavily with arousal. "I'm sorry," Tris said as a pang of guilt twisted her stomach. Jeanine shook her head, "No," Her voice was suddenly very serious. "You don't apologize for this Tris. You don't ever have to apologize for this." Tris bit at her lower lip, "I know, but-"

"Uh uh," Jeanine placed a slender finger over thin' lips, effectively cutting Tris off. "You don't apologize for this," She said again equally as serious. "I love you Tris Prior, the good the bad, everything. I wish that you didn't have to endure so many painful things in your life, but you have and you did. Life has thrown you one obstacle after another, but you never give up. No matter what, you keep fighting and you keep opening your heart to people even though it has been broken so many times. So don't apologize for this. Don't ever apologize for being yourself, especially not to me, because I love you for exactly who you are."

Tris released a shaky breath and blinked her watery eyes. "I love you," she whispered gravelly before crashing their lips together again. Jeanine relaxed into the kiss and opened her lips slightly to let the bruntte dart her tongue inside. Tris moaned appreciatively into the kiss and felt heat race down her back and form a knot at the base of her spine.

Jeanine's hands brushed over Tris' strong back before finding purchase in her long brown hair. She pulled Tris down deepening their kiss as her arousal grew. Tris unconsciously began rolling her hips against Jeanine's taut abdomen searching for that needed delicious friction.

Jeanine released a deep throaty moan into their kiss as she felt Tris' slick arousal begin to cover her stomach. She removed one of her hands from Tris' hair slipping it down between their bodies to meet Tris' heated core. Her eyes flew open and she gasped at feeling how wet Tris already was. Tris chuckled throatily and started peppering Jeanine's face with kisses. Tris' head swam with arousal when she felt Jeanine's skilled fingers slip between her already wet folds.

"Ohhh," Tris let out a rushed breath when she felt Jeanine make small circles around her hard clit. Tris closed her eyes at the overwhelming sensation and bucked her hips against the woman under her. Jeanine grinned salaciously. "You're so wet for me," She whispered into Tris' ear. Tris let out a wanton moan at Jeanine's dirty talk. "Yes," She hissed her arousal growing.

Tris spread her legs wider allowing for Jeanine to slide two fingers up and down her folds. The brunette shuddered in pleasure at the feeling. "J-Jeanine," Tris choked out in impatience. "Do you want to…?" Jeanine trailed off looking down between their bodies.

"Oh," Tris said in realization as she lifted her hips and looked down between their bodies to see the phallus still strapped to Jeanine. "We don't have to," Jeanine assured warmly. A smile spread across Tris' face at Jeanine's understanding words. She winked at the blonde playfully, "Let's do it."

Jeanine smiled and untangled her hands from Tris' body, cupping the brunette's face and pulling her into a soft yet passionate kiss. Tris sighed in relief into the kiss feeling any lingering hesitation leave her body in an instant. They broke their kiss both smiling softly and Jeanine let her thumb brush Tris' bottom lip, "I love you." Tris smiled as her heart swelled in her chest, "I love you too."

Tris lowered her head and placed a soft peck to Jeanine's lips before scooting back and adjusting herself over the erect phallus. Jeanine noticed Tris' hesitation and sat up quickly wrapping her arms around Tris' midsection. Tris looked down at her lover gratefully as a blush swept across her cheeks. "It's okay," Jeanine reassured meeting Tris' brown orbs.

Tris smiled when she felt Jeanine start to place delicate kisses over her chest. The blonde covered Tris' chest in kisses before darting her tongue out to make circles around pert nipples. The brunette's back snapped ram-rod straight when Jeanine wrapped her lips around Tris' nipple and sucked at it eagerly. Tris wound her hands through Jeanine's hair pushing the blonde into her breast and moaning in pleasure. Jeanine released the pert wet nipple with a pop before moving to Tris' other breast and repeating the process.

Tris' hips bucked uncontrollably into Jeanine searching for friction. Jeanine released Tris' nipple with an equally as loud pop her entire body now vibrating with arousal. She looked up and noticed Tris' eyes had darkened significantly with arousal and she lifted her chin encouraging the younger woman to kiss her. Tris caught on quickly and lowered her lips to meet Jeanine's.

Jeanine released her hold around Tris' midsection her hands running over Tris' lower back and cupping her buttocks in her hands. She massaged the firm cheeks in her hands eliciting a strained moan from Tris. "Are you ready," Jeanine whispered against Tris' collar bone. Tris nodded her head, "Yes."

"Would you like me to help you," Jeanine asked softly her voice filled with concern. "Yes," Tris replied again but softer. Jeanine let one hand fall from Tris backside to the phallus. She was pleasantly surprised that it still had a good amount of lube on it. Tris untangled her hands from Jeanine's hair wrapping her arms around Jeanine and pressing their bodies together tightly.

"Whenever you're ready," Jeanine breathed trying to keep her voice from shaking. Tris closed her eyes and drew in a shaking breath. She bit down hard on her lower lip and tensed her body before slowly lowering herself onto the awaiting shaft. Jeanine released Tris' buttocks and wrapped her arm comfortingly around the younger woman's lower back.

Tris winced at feeling the phallus push against her center. "Take your time," Jeanine encouraged softly, the emotional weight and intimacy of the moment not escaping her. Tris exhaled through her nose and bit down on her lip even harder trying to keep her past from ruining the moment. Slowly she slid down on the phallus until it completely filled her and her center met with Jeanine's fingers.

Jeanine sat in complete silence as she removed her fingers from the phallus and allowed Tris a moment to adjust to the feeling. She wrapped her arms tightly around the younger woman in an embrace; she knew Tris was fighting a mental battle. Suddenly Tris shuddered violently in Jeanine's arms and the older woman's heart raced in her chest. Tris' body shook and she started to let out quiet whimpers.

"Tris," Jeanine said unable to hide the alarmed tone in her voice. She leaned back slightly from the younger woman so she could see Tris' face. "Tris," She said again, but Tris continued trembling, "Tris open your eyes." Tears began to streak from Tris' eyes and Jeanine released her hold on the brunette's midsection to cup her face. "Open your eyes Tris," She said again with more urgency.

Tris slowly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as her vision swam. "That's it," Jeanine encouraged, "Come on, you can do it." Tris blinked a few more times as she was pulled from her flashback and back to reality. "It's me," Jeanine coxed, "There you go." Tris' vision cleared and she saw the face of the woman she loved come into view.

Relief washed through her and her tense shoulders' slumped. She leaned into Jeanine's gentle touch against her cheek. She noticed the mixture of love and fear swirling in Jeanine's blue eyes. "Hi," She smiled weakly. Jeanine released a breath of air in relief. "Hi," She replied with a weak smile of her own. "Are you okay," Jeanine asked still concerned. Tris nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm okay now."

A smile tugged at the corner of Jeanine's mouth and she pulled Tris into a sweet and chaste kiss. Tris deepened the kiss and moaned when she felt the phallus move slightly inside her. Arousal swept over her again and she sat down fully on the phallus. "Don't let me go," Tris whispered into Jeanine's ear breaking their kiss. "Never," Jeanine replied earnestly wrapping her arms tightly around Tris' midsection.

Tris rocked slowly against the phallus and Jeanine moaned in pleasure as it rubbed directly against her clit. Their kisses quickly grew in passion and fervor once again. Tris hips started to rock faster and Jeanine felt her body grow tense at the sensation. "Ohhhh… OH Jeanine," Tris cried out her hips thrusting fully against the phallus. "Yes, yes," Jeanine panted between messy and molten kisses.

Tris slowed her pace for a moment and thrust her hips forward and backward forcefully a few times before picking up a more grueling pace. "Oh fuck, fuck Jeanine," Tris yelled her head bobbing against Jeanine's shoulder in arousal. "Faster," Jeanine requested against Tris' sweat-slicked skin. The brunette happily obliged rocking her hips faster.

Jeanine dropped her hands to Tris hips pulling them up and pushing them down over the hard shaft. Tris' head fell back in pleasure, "Ohhhh I'm so close, yes, yes, yes." Jeanine's core was about to explode as well. "Yes, come on Tris. I-I-I'm gonna come too," She stammered out. That was all it took for Tris to drop down on the phallus hard one more time and start fucking Jeanine hard. She rolled her hips as fast as she could against the blonde. Tris moved faster, faster, and faster until they were both at their peak.

"Oh fuck," Jeanine cursed and her head fell forward against Tris' shoulder. "Oh god, yes," Tris said her climax rapidly approaching as her sex clenched and unclenched around the hard phallus. Tris threw her hips forward three more times effectively sending both women tumbling over the edge into utter and complete bliss. The air in the room was filled with moans and gasps of pleasure as they rode out the waves of their orgasms. Blood rushed through their veins causing taught muscles to flex and quiver, leaving their skin tingling with a sheen layer of sweat.

Tris let out a gasp and dug her fingers into Jeanine's back when she felt the phallus shift slightly inside her core. Jeanine chuckled throatily and placed soft kisses along Tris' shoulder working her way into the column of Tris' neck. The blonde let her hands slide down to cup Tris' ass encouraging the younger woman to lift herself off the dildo. Tris' legs and center quivered as she obeyed Jeanine's silent command removing the soaked phallus from her sex.

Her muscles clenched and relaxed as she sat back down in Jeanine's lap, the dildo now pressed between their bodies. Jeanine let her assault of kisses continue up Tris' neck as her mind continued to swim in pure bliss. Tris rolled her head to the side allowing Jeanine to continue her trek. Plump lips placed delicate kisses along Tris' neck before brushing against her strong jawline and meeting with a pleased smile. Tris' eyes fluttered open to meet Jeanine's and she leaned down pressing her lips against the blonde's.

Jeanine smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms tightly around Tris falling back on to the bed and taking the brunette with her. They chuckled into their kiss and broke both needing air. Tris crawled up Jeanine's body allowing the phallus to slide from between their bodies and lay down fully on top of the blonde. She propped her head up on her hand brushing her long brown hair back from her face and taking in the sated look Jeanine wore.

Tris' lips pulled into a smile as she watched Jeanine close her eyes and hum softly in contentment. She drew small circles over the blonde's chest watching as goose bumps rose in the trail of her touch. Her heart swelled in contentment and she let her head fall to rest on Jeanine's shoulder nuzzling her nose into the older woman's neck.

Jeanine smiled and let her hands roam up and down Tris' strong back until holding the brunette in her arms. "You're so brave," Jeanine whispered and pressed a tender kiss to the top of Tris' head. Tris smiled and squeezed Jeanine's shoulder attempting to get even closer to the blonde. "You give me a reason to be," Tris said simply and relaxed further into her lover. Jeanine returned the comment with a tight squeeze and closed her eyes thankful everything had gone so well.

Tris jumped hearing a loud knocking noise. "Did you hear that," She asked propping herself up on her elbow and looking down at Jeanine. "Hear what," Jeanine asked curiously. Tris heard the noise again and she rolled over sitting upright on the bed and furrowing her brow, "That!" Jeanine propped herself up on the bed unable to figure out what Tris was talking about, "I didn't hear anything."

"It sounded like someone was knocking on the door," Tris said staring at their bedroom door which was standing wide open. Jeanine sat up and followed Tris' gaze to the door, "I don't hear anything, but maybe we should go check the front door." Tris stared at the door before her eyes began to wander around the room. Everything was familiar, the furniture, and the clothes strewn on the floor…. Too familiar, she decided and her stomach dropped.

She swallowed hard and turned so she was facing Jeanine who was now sitting up at her side. Tris swallowed hard, "This isn't real." Jeanine gave Tris a baffled expression, "What do you mean this isn't real?" Tris looked around the room again, the scattered bed sheets, the nightstand drawer still open, and it was all too familiar. "This is a memory," Tris said voicing her thoughts aloud. "What are you talking about," Jeanine asked staring at her lover in concern and confusion.

"This is a memory," Tris said again looking down at her feet and then back up to Jeanine. "This has already happened, I'm dreaming," She said putting the pieces together audibly. Jeanine squinted her eyes and desperately tried to understand Tris' logic. "But this isn't a dream, I'm here," Jeanine said quickly analyzing her state of self. Tris shook her head and Jeanine grabbed Tris' hand pressing it to her chest. "Feel this," Jeanine said, "That is my heartbeat, I am real Tris, I am here."

Tris' heart sunk in her chest at the pleading tone in Jeanine's voice. She inclined her head toward the blonde, "Think about it Jeanine, this has already happened. I'm not with you right now." Jeanine shook her head in refusal but Tris' words suddenly struck something inside. Her mind whirred with thoughts; she was here, but maybe…. "A dream," Jeanine asked after a moment of silence had passed.

"Yes," Tris nodded and fought desperately to keep her tears at bay. A lump formed in Jeanine's chest, she didn't know how or why, but something inside of her told her that Tris was right – this was all a dream. "But this all happened," Jeanine argued the idea. "Yes it did," Tris sighed visibly deflating. "This is a dream made up of a memory," Tris explained slowly.

Jeanine pursed her lips into a tight line examining Tris' words and failing to come up with any reasonable explanations of her own. Tris heard another loud thud ring in her ears and her vision started to blur. "I think I'm waking up," She said her voice strained as her mind swirled. "What," Jeanine snapped to attention her eyes going wide and gluing to the brunette's face.

Tris' head throbbed and she held her hand up to her forehead. "I think I'm waking up," She repeated, her stomach beginning to churn violently. "Shit," Jeanine muttered, her own stomach starting to feel queasy as her vision blurred. "Where are you Tris," Jeanine asked as reality slowly started to trickle into her mind. Tris fell back on the bed her head spinning and bile starting to rise in her throat.

Black spots crept into Jeanine's vision but no matter how much she blinked or rubbed at her eyes the spots continued to grow in size and number. Her head swam and her thoughts became muddled. She heard a grunt from the woman next to her and noticed Tris had fallen back onto the bed. Reality slowly crept into Jeanine's mind and her heart sunk in her chest. "Where are you Tris," She asked through her bleary state.

Tris attempted to clear her throat but failed miserably. Her head swam and it felt as though she was quickly spinning in circles. "Factionless," She finally managed to spit out. Her volume was barely above a whisper, but it was just enough for Jeanine to catch. The older woman closed her eyes and covered her mouth with one hand as a nauseous feeling overtook her body. She exhaled deeply and let herself fall back onto the bed.

Jeanine's eyes flew open only a second later to a familiar ceiling view. Her stomach twisted in a knot and she placed her hand over her abdomen feeling soft silk against her fingertips. She fisted the material in her hand before looking down at it. She furrowed her brow in confusion, looking down at her chest and noticing her favorite pair of silk pajamas. Her eyes pulled into small slits at being unable to recall when she had put the pajamas on. She let out a huff of indignation and let her head fall back against the pillow in wonder. She drew in a deep breath and turned her head fully expecting to see her lover sound asleep and snoring at her side.

Only when Jeanine looked; there was no one there. Her heat sank in her chest and bolted upright with a gasp; Tris' side of the bed was cold, empty and still made. Panic ripped through her chest at the sight and she glanced around the room in search of the brunette. Throwing back the covers, she pulled her legs over the side of the bed and tried to clear her vision. Just as her feet touched the cool carpeted floor, Jeanine's attention landed on a picture of her and Tris hanging on their bedroom wall. It was a selfie-shot Tris had taken the night of their second anniversary. Jeanine's heart rate began to slow the longer she looked at the picture, but pain took the place of her anxiety.

In the photograph; Tris was wearing a white button up shirt and Jeanine was wearing a red form-fitting dress. Jeanine's mind wandered back to the night they had shared on rooftop balcony overlooking the city. She let out a ragged breath and slumped back down on the bed. Her mind whirred with thoughts; of her memory, of her dream and of her present state. It didn't take long for the Erudite leader to realize that everything she had just experienced was only a dream. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand swallowing the bile that threatened to rise up in her throat.

Tears stung at her cloudy blue eyes and her heart physically ached when she once again realized that Tris was missing. Everything she had just experienced was only a dream of a memory – Tris had been right. Jeanine's eyes went wide at the thought; Tris had known that they were dreaming. And for a short time, they were able to communicate with each other both realizing that they were dreaming. Jeanine's mind raced until one solitary word started to circle continuously in her mind. It was the last word she could remember Tris saying – _Factionless_.

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AN: I feel like the song Dreaming With a Broken Heart by John Mayer perfectly explains the way Jeanine is feeling. Check it out if you have the chance ;)

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Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, if you have any questions about the dream please let me know so I can clarify in the next chapter if needed. -Ashlynn

Fruipit23 – Thank you for your advice, I took it! ;)

Ignis Aurum – You made me laugh with your comment, thank you! :)

Thank you for your continued support and comments! :) -Ashlynn


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

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_Jeanine's mind raced until one solitary word started to circle continuously in her mind. It was the last word she could remember Tris saying – __**Factionless**__._

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She sat motionless on the edge of the bed while her mind filled with thoughts of factionless and everything she knew about the factionless people. They were considered the outcasts of the society, similar to Divergents; factionless people did not fit into the roles of any of the five factions. Jeanine tilted her head forward and rubbed at the knot that had formed between her shoulders. She closed her eyes as her mind sorted through various amounts of information about factionless people and everything she had heard concerning them recently.

Drawing up only what seemed to be useless information; she wiped her hands over her face in frustration. She took a deep breath and let herself fall backward onto the bed with a huff. The Erudite leader drew small circles on her temples willing her mind to think more clearly and come up with information that would be of use. Notifications of factionless activity floated through her mind, but all of it seemed meaningless and misconstrued. There had been several reports of protesting and a handfull of riots. She had also recibed a report on the growing number of Factionless people near the Dauntless compound. Otherwise, the factionless people had kept to themselves as usual.

Jeanine growled at herself and squeezed her eyes closed tightly. She knew there was something she was missing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it and it was driving her mad. "Factionless," She whispered, as if saying the word out loud would help her mind focus. To her pleasant surprise, it did help. _Factionless – Dauntless_, Jeanine's mind started rapidly putting the pieces together. _A report had come in of a growing number of factionless people in the Dauntless faction..._ _The factionless people were meeting at the Dauntless headquarters, why? They could go to Amity or Abnegation where they would be provided with any assistance they may need. Why would they go to Dauntless? Why would they gather at a military compound?_

She stayed in contemplative silence for a moment before she fully realized what was going on. "Dauntless is using the factionless," She thought aloud her eyes going wide with understanding. This was revenge - revenge against the factions for both Dauntless and the factionless people. For Dauntless, it would be personal against Jeanine and Tris. The two women had thwarted the last Dauntless rebellion and they would want to make sure it would not happen that way again. If Dauntless succeeded, they would be the sole leaders and decision making body. Jeanine thought about what the factionless people would want and it dawned on her quickly. For the factionless, it would be freedom from being outcasts; they would have a place in society. They would completely destroy the faction system and the rules of society.

"Shit," Jeanine whispered her mind racing. While she supported people transferring between factions, the idea of not having a faction system at all scared her. There would be a loss of organization, and a total loss of order. The faction system was necessary, no matter how flawed it might be. Jeanine's stomach churned and she rested her hand on her stomach. This was a far larger scheme than anything she had hypothesized. What would a nearly factionless society mean for society, for Divergents, for Tris?

Her mind focused in on the young Divergent woman and worry resurfaced painfully in Jeanine's chest. There were numerous possible outcomes and ransoms the Dauntless-Factionless group may ask from both of them. Tris was not just kidnapped; she was a political hostage of war. They could try to use her for her knowledge, for her training, for her relationship with Jeanine. The last thought hit the Erudite leader hard; Tris was being held as leverage, as blackmail, against her. Jeanine's heart ached in her chest as the thought played over and over again in her mind. Tris was being held hostage – because of her.

Guilt claimed a place in her heart and Jeanine bit down on her lower lip fighting off unshead tears. She had been the one to form the Divergent task force that Tris had joined. She had asked Tris to step forward and lead during the Dauntless rebellion. The blonde's stomach tightened in a painful knot as her mind continued to thunk about how she had invloved Tris in the war. Logically, Jeanine knew it was not her fault Tris was taken. But it hurt that she was part of the reason Tris had been a target. She had initiated it, she had been the one to let herself get distracted and fall in love with the Divergent woman causing Tris to be an even larger target. Her stomach lurched again and she clenched her jaw.

Guilt and anxiety churned together in her stomach and Jeanine felt her body flush with heat. Her stomach lurched violently and cool sweat broke across her skin as her mouth became sticky. She pushed herself off of the bed and dizzily stumbled into the bathroom where she dropped to her knees in front of the porcelain commode. She quickly lifted the lid and emptied the contents of her stomach into the bowl. Her body quivered and shook with the instensity of her stress and guilt.

It had always been worth it to Jeanine; every question posed to her about being in a relationship with someone who was not from Erudite, the criticism she got from being with a Divergent, and the political ground she had to recover after their relationship became public. Every single thing she had to endure for their relationship had been more than worth it to Jeanine. This however, this was something else entirely. Tris had been taken from her; the love of her life was stolen from her for some sort of political agenda.

Raw anger started to build in Jeanine's chest replacing the sadness and anxiety she had been overwhelmed with. She closed the toilet seat lid with a clang and reached up to flush its contents. Standing on unsteady legs, Jeanine pushed herself up from the floor with renewed determination and leaned forward against the vanity sink. She studied her appearance in the large mirror; there were dark circles under her red eyes and the lines on her forehead had seemed to grow deeper overnight. She drew in a deep breath and let her eyes fall closed clearing her mind of everything except her resolve to set things right again.

_Please forgive me Tris; _Jeanine silently begged before pushing herself away from the vanity. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled heavily mentally counting to ten. She slowly opened her heavy eyes to see her reflection once again. Her hair was mussed and she looked as though she had not slept for days. Removing her silk pajamas in silence she stepped into the shower and cleaned herself up. Going against her better judgement and opting to skip doing her hair and makeup, Jeanine stepped back into the bedroom wrapping the towel tightly against her exposed skin. Muscle memory continued to guide her steps as she hastily pulled her undergarments from the dresser drawer and selected a simple grey pantsuit from the closet. Her mind was running at full speed desperately trying to figure out how she could approach the situation and not cause any negative repercussions for Tris.

Jeanine's train of thought came to a screeching halt when her phone started ringing loudly on the nightstand. She pulled her trousers up and ran to pick up the phone anxiety gripping at her heart. "Hello," She answered not bothering to look at the name or phone number on the illuminated screen. "Ms. Matthews," The warm voice on the other line queried. "This is she," Jeanine replied curiously, the voice was familiar but she couldn't place it. "This is Johanna Reyes, I heard about the recent…Events and I wanted to call and offer you my sincerest condolences and sympathies. I apologize that I was unable to contact you sooner," Jeanine cringed at the words, the Amity leader made it sound like Tris had died. She swallowed and cleared her throat taking on her professional persona, "Thank you Johanna that is very kind of you."

"Of course," Came the strained reply moments later. Jeanine instantly picked up on the weight that Johanna's voice had held and her curiosity was sparked. "Are you doing alright," She asked, the question was innocent, but Jeanine had a feeling it would be just enough to cause the Amity leader to spill. "I um…" Johanna faltered and Jeanine knit her eyebrows together in concern. Though she and Johanna had never been very close, Jeanine was rather fond of the soft-spoken older woman. They had shared a mutual respect for each other ever since Jeanine started her career in public office. "Well," Johanna started, her voice growing shaky, "I do hope you don't mind if I speak candidly..." Jeanine sighed and propped her hand on her hip willing the older woman to get to the point, "What is it?" Johanna cleared her voice on the other end of the line, "A year ago from the day Tris was taken, my son William went missing in much the same way Tris did."

Jeanine drew in a sharp breath as Johanna's statement slapped her square in the face. Her mind replayed the news report about Williams's disappearance. "Do you think their disappearances are linked," Jeanine asked voicing her thoughts aloud and wondering what the older faction leader's thoughts were on the topic. There was a shuffling in the background before Johanna spoke, "I think it is a strong possibility." Jeanine rubbed at the back of her neck and let her eyes fall closed. William had gone missing a year before Tris; they were both close to factionless leaders. "Blackmail," the Erudite leader spoke voicing her conclusion aloud.

Johanna hummed deeply on the other end of the line, "I have suspected as much for a while, but no one has made any requests of me… William is a good boy, he was in his last semester of medical school when he… When he…" The older woman trailed off and Jeanine could tell that she was doing her best to hold back tears. "We'll find him," She said without thought. Jeanine was slightly surprised by the conviction in her own voice. She didn't know when or how, but she knew that some way, somehow, both Tris and Will would be coming home.

With a promise to update the Amity leader on any new information regarding Tris', and possibly Will's, whereabouts Jeanine hung up the phone and finished getting dressed completing her grey pant suit with a pair of heels. Standing in front of the floor length mirror, she smoothed out the material and straightened her spine as new surge of strength and determination and confidence came over her.

Tousling her hair, Jeanine stepped away from the mirror, grabbed her cell phone and made her way to the kitchen. She gasped when she noticed the kitchen in complete disarray. Pots and pans sat on the stove, flour covered the counter tops and ingredients were strewn about everywhere. She rolled her eyes and chuckled at herself quietly. She may be the well-respected always-put-together leader of the Erudite faction, but the woman could certainly make a kitchen look like a three year old was doing all the cooking.

Shaking her head at herself she stepped into the kitchen gingerly, cautious of her messy surroundings and her nice suit. Jeanine pulled a to-go mug from the cabinet and started up the coffee machine. She stared at the time illuminated on the machine; it was 6:47am which meant that Tris had been missing for approximately thirty-five hours. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and picked up her phone to call her best friend.

"Good morning," The voice on the other end answered groggily. Jeanine's lips pulled into a tight smile, Christine had never been a morning person. "Good morning dear, how are you and Caleb doing this morning?" A loud yawn came through the phone's earpiece and Jeanine chuckled quietly, "Uh... Um... Well," Another yawn ensued before the blonde heard Christine groan likely from stretching her muscles. "I'm awake," Christine said opening her eyes and willing them to focus on her surroundings. "Doesn't look like Caleb is though," She said her voice sad but still hopeful.

Jeanine exhaled heavily, "Any complications through the night?" Christine shook her head before remembering her friend could not see her, "No, no problems all is well." A small amount of relief washed through Jeanine's body, "That's good; if you don't mind I am going to stop by the office before coming in this morning. I need to make a few phone calls and then I will be in." Christine groaned on the other end of the line, "That's fine just as long as you bring coffee when you come." Jeanine smiled, "You got it." "Any new developments," the dark haired woman asked sitting up straight in the uncomfortable chair the hospital had provided.

Jeanine chewed at her lower lip, suddenly perplexed as to how to explain everything to her best friend. "Jeanine," Christine asked after a moment of silence had passed between them. The blonde quickly decided that it would be much easier to stay discrete for the time being and explain everything else later. "Maybe, I think so. But I need to make a few calls before I can be sure of anything." Christine hummed her understanding, "Well I hope you get some answers. I'll see you later. Let me know if anything changes." Jeanine smiled, she was grateful Christine didn't press her for more information. "Same here see you soon," Jeanine said ending the call and taking a big drink of her steaming coffee.

She turned around and leaned back against the counter top clutching her coffee mug tightly. Her eyes tracked around the messy kitchen and she released a huff against the hot dark liquid in her cup. Leaving her coffee mug on the counter, Jeanine made quick work of cleaning the kitchen, unable to leave it in disarray for a second time. She mindlessly picked the pots and pans off of the stove, rinsing them in the sink and placing them in the dishwasher. A familiar melody floated into her mind and Jeanine hummed along to it as she picked up the strewn ingredients and continued to clean. She sighed heavily rinsing her hands in the sink and giving the kitchen an approving nod when she had finished. She put the lid on her coffee mug, grabbed her things and headed out the door. The more her heart hurt, the more determined she became to find Tris and set things right again.

Jeanine dialed Sargent Tori Wu as she merged onto the main highway headed for Erudite headquarters. "Sargent Wu, this is Jeanine Matthews. Have you discovered any new information," The blonde asked getting directly to the point. "Ms. Matthews," Tori answered clearing her voice. "I have found little in the way of a paper trail. However, I have been hearing several rumors, I cannot be sure how accurate the rumors are, but the general conscious seems to be the same," Sargent Wu replied. "Which is," Jeanine pressed eager to find out if her working hypothesis was correct. Tori lowered the volume of her voice before responding, "The rumor is that Max has had several meetings off-the-books with a woman named Evelyn Johnson, apparently she is some sort of leader among the factionless people." Jeanine hummed in thought, she had heard Evelyn's name before.

"Do you know where they meet," Jeanine asked wondering if she could narrow down a location of Tris' whereabouts. "No," Tori said regretfully. "But I do know that it is not here at Dauntless," She added quickly. Jeanine chewed on the inside of her cheek. The intel Tori was able to provide wasn't much and it seemed to provide more questions than answers. "Thank you for your help Sargent Wu, I will be in touch soon," Jeanine said her mind lost in thought. "Yes ma'am you're welcome," Tori responded before the call ended. Jeanine tapped at the steering wheel in frustration while she drove down the road. She willed her mind to connect all the dots and make sense of all the information she had been given. Half an hour later she pulled up to the Erudite headquarters and headed to her office.

"Ms. Matthews," Dakota greeted Jeanine with a bright and cherry smile. "How are you doing," The dark haired woman asked. "As well as can be expected I suppose," Jeanine replied distractedly her heels clicking against the white tile floor as she walked past her secretary's desk and into her office. She dropped her things on the corner of her desk and fell into her chair rather ungracefully. The constant level of high stress was giving quickly giving her a migraine and she growled throatily in frustration. She glared down at all of the forms and papers on her desk, she had hardly been gone a day and there was already a mountain of paperwork waiting for her.

The office was a place was where Jeanine usually felt most in control over her life. However, at the moment it just annoyed her. All of the fake pretenses of having an office in political power fell away as she looked around and saw everything for simply what it was – just stuff. The only thing that really mattered, the only thing that made it all work, was the raw willpower of the people in her office and the people in the faction who wanted to make Erudite a better place for everyone to live, work, and raise their families. The real reason she took office was not for power, as many of her colleagues had accused, but to make a difference and to help provide people with opportunities for a better life. However, right now her personal life was in shambles and she loathed that she did not have the energy to read through the pile of papers stacked on her desk. She sighed in disappointment with herself; perhaps it was time to ask for help.

The phone sitting on her desk rang and Jeanine jumped as it broke through her thoughts. "Hello," She said picking up the phone quickly and answering. "Ms. Matthews," The deep voice on the other end of the line asked. "This is she," Jeanine answered and composed herself from her surprise. "Ms. Matthews this is Jack Kang," The voice greeted warmly on the other end of the line. Jeanine sighed inwardly; the Candor leader had no doubt called to offer his support. "To what do I owe the pleasure Mr. Kang," Jeanine asked professional as ever. "I wanted to call and offer you my condolences and my support during this difficult time for you."

Jeanine cringed, this was the second time a faction leader had called her and made it sound like Tris had died. She bit down on her tongue and opted to stay silent. "If there is anything I can do for you please let me know," The Candor faction leader offered. Jeanine steeled herself, "Thank you Jack, I will be sure to let you know if there is." Avoiding any more exchanges the Erudite leader quickly ended the call letting the phone fall back into the receiver. She stared at the phone for a while, her mind becoming lost in an endless train of thought.

"Dakoda," Jeanine said pressing the intercom button on her phone. "Yes Ms. Matthews," Dakota answered in her always-chipper tone. "Can you call the Dauntless headquarters please? I would like to speak with Max," Jeanine asked before noticing the small hesitation before Dakota responded, "Of course Ms. Matthews." Once again the office fell into complete silence as Jeanine leaned back in her chair as waited for Dakota to connect the call. Her mind whirred with thoughts and her head started to throb with a mixture of racing thoughts and irritation.

"Max is on line one," Dakota's voice rang out though the silent air in the office. Jeanine drew in a deep breath and blew it out – this was not going to be easy. "Thank you," She said closing the intercom call and pressing the button to pick up line one on the telephone. She closed her eyes and drew in a calming breath as her heart began hammering in her chest. She felt as though she was about to make a deal with the devil. She had to be more than careful and articulate in the way she approached this conversation. Although she wanted to, it would be irrational to simply call Max out on helping the Factionless and in turn, helping aid in or even be the cause of Tris' capture and disappearance.

She blew out a deep breath from between her lips, lifted the phone from the receiver and pressed it to her ear. "Max, it's been too long," She said careful to hide her sarcasm within the rich tones in her voice. There was no denying Max had never been her favorite person nor was she his. The Dauntless leader grunted on the other end of the line. "Not nearly long enough I'm afraid," He retorted not bothering to conceal his distaste for the Erudite leader. Jeanine rolled her eyes and smirked she loved that she got under his skin, it meant he still knew she was a threat. "Listen Max there is something I have been meaning to talk to you about," Jeanine said as an amused smirk continued to pull at the corner of her mouth.

"What is it," Max asked his voice clipped and short. Jeanine drew in a deep breath and took the plunge. "We need a new way to deal with the factionless riots. I have new information they may be growing in not just size and number any longer. It also seems there have been an increasing number around the Dauntless compound which I am sure you will have no problem dealing with quickly and adequately," Jeanine was careful to strategically lace her words with a double meaning. The line was silent for a moment and she knew she had caught the usually quick-witted man off guard. "To what exactly are you referring Ms. Matthews," Max questioned. Jeanine's eyes pulled into slits as she focused on what Max was asking. A coy smile spread across her face; Max was fishing for more information now, he wanted to know just how much she knew or suspected.

"I have a theory that the factionless people are gaining direct support from a faction," Jeanine said making her point even more clear. Max cleared his throat on the other end of the line and Jeanine relished in how uncomfortable she was making him. "That is an awfully big accusation to be making Ms. Matthews. Are you sure about that," Max asked in a futile attempt to turn the Erudite leader's accusation back on her. "Oh Max, while this is still mostly speculation. I am indeed quiet sure of another faction's involvement with the factionless movement and activates," Jeanine stated plainly before letting the conversation fall into an uncomfortable silence.

"And who do you suspect is helping them - Abnegation," The Dauntless leader questioned after a moment had passed. Jeanine instantly picked up on his tactics to negate the responsibility and blame someone else. She steeled her resolve and briefly explained her train of thought, "While Abnegation does help provide Factionless with resources, they do not provide them with enough to cause the sort of rioting we have seen as of late. All of the other factions have reported little to no new or different activity which tells me; they are gathering somewhere. And as of right now, your faction seems to be their stronghold."

"I'm not sure I understand what you are insinuating Ms. Mathews," Max said questioningly. Jeanine scoffed at his feigned ignorance, "You know exactly what I am insinuating Max." She slowly stood from her chair as her voice grew with intensity, "If I find out Dauntless has been conspiring with the factionless people to overthrow the faction system so help me I will tear your faction to the ground –again! And Max, if I find out _you_ had anything to do with what happened to Tris and Caleb I will _personally _see to it that you spend the remainder of your days locked in a prison cell."

The line went dead and it was more than enough proof for Jeanine to know her hypothesis had been true. She dropped the phone back into its cradle as her mind was consumed with frustration and determination. Tris had been kidnapped by the Dauntless – Factionless alliance and Jeanine just declared war.

* * *

_Before you start a war – know what you're fighting for._

* * *

So this chapter was Jeanine's story, the next one will be Tris'. Hopefully I will be able to update faster, I apologize for making you wait and thank you for your patience!

I imagined Jeanine humming the song Dreaming With A Broken Heart by John Mayer it perfectly fits the scene!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think?

Thanks, Ashlynn


	15. Chapter 15

Tris' eyes flew open and she sat up with a gasp. She desperately gulped air into her lungs. _Jeanine_, she exhaled heavily and looked around the dark room. _She's not here_, Tris' shoulders sunk in disappointment. _Holy shit… Wait, what just? We can talk in my dreams?_ The dream came flooding back to Tris in one rapid scene. She closed her eyes tightly and let the dream replay in her mind. A smile slowly made its way over her lips.

A knock came from the door and Tris suddenly remembered why her dream had ended. She threw back the sheets and got out of bed. She quickly crossed the room and opened the door. "What's going on," She demanded.

"Well good morning to you too," Will mocked taking a step back from Tris' doorway.

"Is everything okay," Tris questioned crossing her arms over her chest defensively. She did not appreciate having her dream interrupted.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just thought you might want to get some breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us." Will took another step backward and leaned against the wall.

Tris took a deep breath and unfolded her arms. "Right," She sighed, "Building a drug, or rather, a weapon of mass destruction today." Will gave her a pitiful smile and Tris shook her head. "Give me two minutes," She said and stepped back into her room closing the door behind her.

Tris quickly changed into a pair of loose fitting gray pants and a black v-neck tshirt. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment. Her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. _How long have I been here? _She tried to sort out a timeline in her head but everything was running together. _Friday… Saturday… Sunday morning. So I've been here for about thirty-five hours. Sheesh Jeanine must be going nuts. _

She shook her head and broke her train of thought. Sighing at her reflection, Tris pulled her hair up into a messy bun. She took a deep breath and tugged at the hem of her shirt. "Okay, time to go build a weapon for a crazy lady. Nothing quite like biological warfare to start the week." She chuckled at herself. _Oh my God, I'm losing my mind._

Tris and Will went to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast before returning to the Factionless laboratories.

"Are you ready to do this," Will asked looking over the schematics.

"I don't think I have a choice," Tris said flatly.

"You must love her a lot," Will thought aloud.

A small smile played across Tris' lips and she looked up to meet Will's gaze, "You have no idea."

"Oh I think I do," Will countered thoughtfully.

Tris remembered the drug-induced dream where Will had watched her and Jeanine get married. She cringed and turned her attention back to the test tube in her hands, "Right."

Will shifted in his seat unsure if he should press the topic further. Eventually, his curiosity and genuine interest got the best of him, "Your dreams made it obvious that you love her. But you seem to share something with her... Something other than just love. It's like…" He trailed off.

Tris looked up from her work as her heart started to beat heavily in her chest. _Like we're connected?_

"Like you're connected to her somehow," Will said still baffled by even the idea. "I mean, I've never seen someone have such strong dreams before. You're reading, the report, your numbers were off the charts." He shook his head remembering reading the report and questioning if it was correct. "I'm sure this sounds crazy, but it's like… Like you were both dreaming at the same time… Like you shared your dream with her."

Tris drew in a shaky breath, _I did. _Tears started to build in her eyes and she swallowed the lump that was starting to build in her throat. "I um," her hands started to shake and she set the test tube on the table. She cleared her throat and continued to look down at the table. "I mean, that's interesting… I've always found dreams kind of fascinating. Sometimes they are pretty weird. But other times, I think they can reveal things to us."

Will watched as Tris seemed to drift off into thought. A few minutes of silence passed between the pair before Will spoke again. "Well it certainly says something that you're willing to help Evelyn create a weapon that could potentially cause harm to thousands just to keep Jeanine and Caleb safe."

Tris took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "I would do anything for them, they're my family."

"Yeah" Will sighed as a pang of guilt hit him in the chest. He returned his attention to looking over the plans. "So it looks like there are two parts to creating this machine. First, creating a serum that can be distributed as an aerosol. Second, creating a trigger, something that will cause the serum to take effect." Tris hummed in agreement as she shuffled through a drawer of equipment.

"How do you know how to make a weapon like this," Will asked watching Tris create a pile of parts and tools.

Tris' body went ridged as memories began to flood her mind. She took a shaky breath and bit down on her lower lip. Talking about that period of her life was always difficult. It was a time responsible for many of her nightmares and sleepless nights. But, it was also when she met Jeanine. Anxiety built in her chest, and she tried to push it down. _No, I can't, not now. _Her hands began to tremble and she threw down the wrench in her hand sending it clattering across the tile floor. _No. No. No. Come on Tris. Get it together. _

"Are you okay," Will asked suddenly alarmed.

"I-I'm fine," Tris stammered. _Damn PTSD_, she growled and balled her hands into fits pulling them to her chest.

"What's wrong," Will asked standing from his chair and approaching Tris.

Tris instantly leapt backward crashing into a supply cabinet with a yelp. "Just leave-leave me alone for a minute. I'll - I'll be fine."

Will threw his hands up in surrender, "Okay, can you tell me what's happening?"

Tris closed her eyes tightly as her body started to tremble. "An-Anxiety," Tris mumbled out pushing herself back against the cool metal of the giant supply cabinet.

Stabbing pain emanated from her chest and her breathing started to become shallow. _Stop. Stop. Stop. Just stop. Just stop. _

Horrid memories plagued her vision growing more and more intense. _Stop! Please, please stop! _She silently pleaded unable to breathe. _Jeanine. Jeanine. Jeanine. Jeanine. Jeanine. _The woman's name became a mantra in Tris' mind. The pain in her chest burned and stretched out from her chest. _Jeanine. Jeanine. Jeanine. Jeanine. Jeanine. _She fought against the pain desperately trying to picture the woman in her mind. _Blonde hair, blue-gray eyes. Come on I know you're there. Come on. Where are are you? _

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when an image of Jeanine suddenly stilled in Tris' mind. _There! There you are! _Tris inhaled sharply and her lungs burned with the sudden expansion. _There you are. There you are. _She gulped in another shaking breath repeating the phrase over and over in her mind. She fought against the burning in her chest, against the noise in her mind. She delved into the strength of her soul, focusing solely on the woman of her dreams. She wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection and started to gently rocked herself back and forth. Cool tears slipped from her eyes and trailed over hot flushed cheeks. Her muscles slowly began to release and her breathing evened out as she traced each delicate line of Jeanine's face in her mind. _I miss you._ Tris slid down to the floor, buried her face in her arms and let herself cry, never letting go of the image in her mind.

Several minutes slipped by before Will gathered his courage and decided to try again. "Are you okay?"

Tris' watery eyes fluttered up to met Will's concerned expression. She nodded her head and tried to offer him a small smile.

Will released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, "Are you sure? You scared me there for a minute… I-I Thought you were going to pass out or something."

Tris shook her head, and chuckled sardonically. "Nah, that one was pretty mild."

"Mild," Will asked his eyebrows shooting up toward his hairline.

"Yeah," Tris said slowly pushing herself up off of the floor. She balanced herself against the cabinet trying to get her shaking legs to still. She took a steadying breath and looked back at Will. "They used to be really bad. I used to have them several times a day and sometimes I would blackout for a few minutes at a time."

"Wow," Will's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Yeah," Tris sighed and swallowed hard her lungs still stinging. "Um… You asked me a question," she tried to recall what it was.

"We don't have to talk about it," Will said feeling guilty.

"No, it's okay… Oh! Now I remember. You were asking me about how I knew about the weapon."  
"Yeah, but we really don't have to talk about it," Will shook his head nervous it would make Tris sick again.

"It's okay," Tris said again taking a shaky breath and sitting down on a stool. "My therapist says it's good for me to talk about this stuff. She says the more I talk about it - the less power it has over me. So, it's okay." She shifted uncomfortably and tried to calm her frayed nerves before launching into her answer.

"I was part of the first Dauntless rebellion three years ago. Just when Dauntless was getting the upper hand, Jeanine sent out a call-to-action for Divergents, and well, I answered... We um, we created a defense system against the Dauntless military… The system was, and still is, partially based on the weapon plan you are looking at."

Will stared down at the weapon's schematics again. "Rather than just blood and guns, we decided to take a multidimensional approach to warfare. It's a psychoactive weapon."

Will looked up at Tris with a bewildered expression.

"It can alter your state of consciousness," Tris explained, "But, it can also be used as a physical weapon by using that altered state of mind to manipulate or change people's actions."  
Will fell back into his chair and sat stunned for a moment. He looked back and forth between the schematics and Tris. "You can turn innocent people into weapons of war."

Tris raised her eyebrows in thought and blew out a heavy breath. "Well… I suppose that is one way to look at it -yes." The room fell into a deadly silence and Jeanine's voice cut through Tris' thoughts; "_Dark times call for extreme measures. I know it's hard to understand, but we are serving the greater good."_

Tris sat in quiet thought. What they had created was a weapon, but it was designed to help - not harm. And at the time, they didn't have another choice. The factions were falling prey to the Dauntless army - they didn't have a choice.

Will stared at Tris and started to shake his head in disapproval.

"What?" Tris asked noting the frustration that filled his usually warm features.

"Bows and arrows, guns, bombs, nuclear warfare, and now… Biological warfare… Does it ever end," he asked leaning forward and folding his hands together in front of his face.

Tris' stomach turned and she swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I don't think so," she whispered staring down at her hands. "It would be nice if it would… Peace, it would be nice. But people, people always want more. And when they have what they initially wanted, they just want something else…"

Her mind flashed back to a similar conversation she had shared with Jeanine.

"_No matter what I do, no matter how much I give, they always want more. I do my best to keep the peace, to maintain order, to ensure the success of each and every individual in my faction. But still, still they want more. Tris, I don't know what more I can give them."_

Will drew in a heavy breath as his shoulders fell and his eyes wandered around the laboratory. A few moments of silence passed between them before Will finally spoke again breaking Tris out of the memory. "Everyone inevitably creates the thing they dread," his eyes zeroed in on the weapon plans again. Tris felt her heart clench at the truth in Will's words.

"You and Jeanine," he continued, "You tried to create something that would ensure peace. But in reality… In reality you created a weapon for war…" Tris watched as he shook his head and slumped back in the chair defeated. "After hundreds of thousands of years you'd think we would have this whole war and peace thing figured out." He rolled his head from side to side against the back of the chair. "And Evelyn," he threw his hands up in the air dramatically, "She just makes us into the monsters we really are… I mean, I'm a doctor for Christ's sake! I'm supposed to help people! Not dig through their minds!" Tris watched as Will shook his head and closed his eyes. "It's like I have bad karma for leaving Amity, for going against the system. I should have just stayed there. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to leave my faction in the first place."

Tris' temper flared. "Will,"she said a certain sharpness to her tone. Will looked up as Tris slid off of the stool quickly stepping around the table so she was standing directly in front of him.. "No one should ever be made to feel like they can only be one thing." She folded her arms over her chest, "You can be brave, kind, selfless, intelligent, honest and kind all at the same time! You can go to school at Erudite and still maintain the values of Amity. You can still be honest about your life and your work. You can be selfless in your compassion for others. You can be brave by daring to go against the system and helping people who may not otherwise receive treatment. And it is not your fault that you're here."  
"That's easy for you to say you're divergent! People expect that sort of thing from you!" Will spat back. "And it is true - I should have never left Amity I should have-"  
Tris snarled at being stereotyped. "That is not true and you know it," she growled. She gritted her teeth and decided to ignore the 'divergent' jab. "You left Amity so you could help people which is exactly what Amity is all about. You didn't choose to get wrapped up in Evelyn's plan," she argued.

"Well I'm not helping anyone now," Will protested.

"Sure you are," Tris said with a small smile, "You're helping me." She squeezed his shoulder causing him to look up at her.

Will rolled his eyes and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. "Yeah, to create a weapon that Evelyn will inevitably use to hurt people."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Tris grinned mischievously and Will gave her a curious expression.

Tris released Will's shoulder and put up her hands in surrender. "I'm not saying anything definitive, but we are the one's creating this weapon after all."

"She's going to kill everyone we care about if we don't make this weapon for her. She'll kill Jeanine" Will said his emotions running on high and his voice filled with panic.

Tris' stomach flipped at the thought but she quickly balanced herself. "Oh, we're going to make it alright. I'm just suggesting that we make a few modifications to the schematics."

Will gave her a cautious look and Tris smiled mischievously. _If only you could see me now Jeanine…_ Sharing a silent agreement, they both returned to their work; Will working on the serum while Tris worked on assembling the physical weapon.

While she worked, Tris let her mind travel back in time to when she and Jeanine were plotting against the Dauntless rebellion.

"_I know we have a good plan Jeanine, but sheesh, this seems like a nearly impossible feat. I mean, they out number us nearly three to one and they are all highly trained," Tris grumbled in frustration and let her head fall forward to rest on the cool glass of the conference room table. __Jeanine reached out and squeezed Tris' hand. "Tris, I know this is hard, and I know it's scary. But, it is up to us to confront any element that can poison us from within."__Tris looked up from the table to see Jeanine's eyes shining with unshed tears and she suddenly knew Jeanine was scared too. "Try to remember that this is about keeping our society in tact. Peace is no longer an ideal - it's an obligation and it's up to us to make a difference. We can do this Tris. We can ensure the safety of the factions. We can help bring peace and prevent more faction wars from occurring. We can destroy the negative stigma attached to changing factions. Think about the future generations who will be able to choose what factions they want to belong to, and if they want, they can belong to all of them." __Jeanine squeezed Tris' hand tightly and brushed her thumb against the back of her hand, "No one will have to be categorized or put in a box. They won't have to be just one thing - they can be anything they want to be." Tris smiled brightly and her heart swelled in her chest. Someone else finally understood and appreciated what it meant to be Divergent._

Tris drew in a deep breath as Jeanine's words echoed through her mind and wrapped around her like a warm blanket. _When I'm with you, I'm standing with an army. _She closed her eyes and drew in a calming breath. "I'll see you soon," she whispered resting her hand over her heavy heart.

She drew in another soothing breath and felt courage begin to flow from her heart and fill her veins. _I can do this._ Her fingers curled into fists. _I won't allow Evelyn to destroy the faction system, no matter how fractured or broken it may be. Not when we have worked so hard to make it better. You can't force people to be tolerant, it takes time to change society as a whole. Evelyn wants to rule. She wants the factions to conform to her idea of freedom, but her plan is not freedom… Tyranny will only hurt relationships between the factions… We have to have understanding and acceptance among the different factions. War will not solve our differences, we've already tried that._

Tris looked over at Will and her heart sank. _It's unfair that you've been pulled into this war. You only want to help people, but Evelyn has forced you to hurt people in order to save the one's you care for the most. _Her heart ached in her chest and her fingernails started to cut into her palms. _I promise, I'm going to do everything I can to stop Evelyn. I won't let her crush the peace that we have worked so hard to create. I won't let her hurt the people we care about._

"What are you thinking," Will asked noticing that Tris' mood had suddenly become very somber and her expression had hardened in defiance.

"Nothing," Tris said setting her jaw and pulling herself from her thoughts. She turned her attention back to their work. "Let's keep working."

"Sure." Will looked at her quizzically. But eventually gave in realizing that whatever Tris was thinking about, she was not willing to share.

The afternoon passed quickly as they diligently worked to create Evelyn's desired weapon. It was meticulous detailed work that required both of them to be focused so the laboratory fell into silence for a few hours.

"How's it going," Tris asked removing her gloves and walking over to where Will was working on the serum solution.

"Frustrating," he growled as yet a third attempt to replicate the serum failed.

Tris sighed, "Well I suppose that's what we get for trying to replicate that was created by the greatest minds to ever exist."

Will shook his head and scratched the back of his head. "I just don't understand why the molecular cohesion will not set in."

Tris sighed, "I wish I had paid more attention when they were working on it at Erudite. There were just so many other things going on…" She patted Will on the shoulder. "Come on, let's take a walk. I bet it will come to you." Will nodded his head grateful for the break and turned off the microscope.

"So how did you end up helping me with this anyway," Tris asked once they were in the hallway. "I kinda expected to be doing this whole thing solo."

Will looked down at his shoes, "I kinda volunteered."

"What?"

Will continued to look down at the floor, "Evelyn wants the weapon ready as soon as possible." Tris chewed at the inside of her cheek as they continued down the hallway.

"I figured my pharmaceutical background would be helpful, and... " Will trailed off.

Tris looked over at him speculatively and noticed the conflicted expression he held. "You feel responsible," she observed aloud.

Will swallowed audibly and nodded his head in silent confirmation. "Just like me, you didn't choose to be here… And, and I still feel bad for what I did when you first got here... I'm sorry Tris."Tris' body went rigid with the memory. She had done her best to push the memory out of the dream manipulation out of her mind. Her mouth went dry and a chill ran up her spine. She felt her body tense and her chest started to ache. _Not again. _

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, lots of heavy stuff in there.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Your thoughts/ideas/suggestions keep me going! :)

\- Ashlynn :)


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